HYDERABAD: What’s a Saturday evening without good food and some mellifluous music? And when you are in Hyderabad take a break from jazzy dining places to opt for something on the ornate, ancient side. We are talking of the restaurant ‘Kingdom of BBQ’ in Banjara Hills for a sumptuous family dinner with live ghazal and Sufi evenings. Near the entrance of the restaurant you find a huge tray of Turkish brass lamps, an old-fashioned samovar, metallic trays, a carafe and a few gold-rimmed tea-cups put upside down on a large plate. A few fairy lights add to the decor. This gives you a hint what to find inside.
The large dining area inside has wrought-iron and wooden furniture. There are low seating areas with turquoise cushions. On each table is kept an individual red-glass lamp with a tea-light in it. A huge glass chandelier lights up the otherwise less-lit area. In a corner sit musicians in sherwanis and traditional caps singing ghazals. Says chef Inam Khan the restaurant owner, “We also have theme-based nights when each evening’s music is dedicated to a particular concept.”
The food consists of mostly barbecued items. The must have family delight is Changezi Platter–a huge tray comprising iceberg lettuce, grilled chicken, lamb racks, haleem, biryani, rumali roti, fish fillets, a bowl of mashed potato and more. The best part is that it comes with a tiny cup of burning coal kept in the centre which gives it its smoky flavour. You can wash it down with a cup of Sulemani chai or rose tea. As the music wafts you can choose to go upstairs which has balcony seating area with the full view of a glittering Hyderabad spread below and if it’s a full moon night then it completes your craving for a nearly-perfect dining experience with your loved ones.
Charges for two: `1,000++