Watering Hole With A Literary Legacy

The Writer’s Bar at The Savoy in Mussoorie has entertained more authors in its century old history than any other watering hole in India

- Geeta Rao

The winter sun ricochets off polished wooden arches and floors as you walk past sepia-toned frames facing brightly coloured Bollywood posters from a more contemporary era. Images from Teesri Manzil, Ghunghat and the more recent Student Of The Year 2 (all have scenes shot around here) alternate with those of Maharaja of Kapurthala’s birthday bash in the Grand Ballroom circa 1920 and a boxing tourney from the 1930s. This interesting corridor and juxtaposition leads you to the famed Writer’s Bar at the stunningly pretty The Savoy in Mussoorie.

Part Downton Abbey drawing room, part gentleman’s club, the Writer’s Bar is a spiffily restored time warp with a wood panelled ceiling and a gleaming parquetry floor. Sofas, scattered armchairs, occasional tables and marble busts add to the sense of having stepped back in time. The bar counter itself is a magnificent solid wood piece, with bevelled mirrors and arched wooden shelves running across the length of the high-ceiling room. You can get a signature paan martini here or an old-fashioned or cosmopolitan, but the bar prides itself on its collection of whiskies and single malts.