The Scene
There's nobody in Himayatnagar who wouldn't have eaten at Bahar. Actually, add 10km to all sides.

Sure, that's a gross exaggeration, but it won't hurt anyone's feelings. Bahar is one of the most popular Hyderabadi biryani joints - right up there with Paradise, Madina and Shadab. And it shows all that you can get away with if you serve good food.

The ground floor is as bad as it gets in service - and realizing that perhaps, they added an air-conditioned top floor, where the waiters at least have more time for you than 10 testy seconds, and actually make eye contact. It must be taking a lot out of them, given that Bahar clearly defines itself as being in the food business, not in the restaurant business.

So there's the, er, meat of it - you go to Bahar for food, period. It's noisy and crowded, and the ground floor at least is packed with people who would stare at anything in feminine attire. If you are with someone you are trying to show some class to, head for the first floor, and tell him/her that you go to Bahar for food, period.

The Food
Bahar is popular mostly for the chicken and mutton biryanis (though they have the veg, egg and fish varieties, too), but it serves over 120 items in a fairly articulate menu, spanning the predictable Mughlai, Tandoori and Chinese cuisines. There are soups, kebabs, dozens of Mughlai chicken and mutton dishes, a few kidney and brain dishes, fried rice and noodles, a small veg stretch, and Qubani Ka Meetha plus several ice creams.

Like all It is not expensive - a veg biryani costs Rs. 60 and a mutton biryani Rs. 100, and an average meal for two can work out to less than Rs. 200. The food is of course good, especially the entire non-veg list (which is 70% of the menu).

The Verdict
Try not to think of Bahar on a day that you are fasting. Else, try not to think of the distance or the traffic for once, wherever you are.