Rooting for the little guys: The concept of a hole in the wall pub in India
Lately, over the years, there has been an increase in the millennials as to what they identify as a dive. When my friend and I took help from social media, a lot of people named the bars like 145, Yeda Republic, and even Bar Stock Exchange! A lot of them consider kitsch decorations and ambience, mismatched chairs and low lighting as a dive bar. No!
Dive bars are unpretentious. They are not advertised. They don't care about any nasty Zomato reviews. They have unglamorous decor and cheap drinks when you need a pick-me-up during a month-end. These are the places where many friendships and memories are formed.
I remember going to Sunlight with my roommate on a Friday night. The whole place was packed with college students, people from offices across the Fort area and smoke. We were happily munching on our butter popcorn and gulping down each of our own old monk and GnT quarters, 3 college students came to our table asking if they could join us since there was no space left. And with ease, all of us started discussing a pretty niche topic about technical aspects of Bollywood movies! Even though I just remember the glimpses (for obvious reasons lol) but this was surely a pretty unique experience of a conventional Bombay dive bar for me.
These are the places where you sit, drink, and chill at a table with your friends and don't mind if strangers join because of too much crowd and then you start discussing and vibing on a certain subject. When you go in, these are the places you know you're most probably going to reek of smoke and alcohol after coming out.
Let's dive into the dive history and culture, shall we?
According to Wikipedia, the term dive was used in the 1800s in the US press for describing the disreputable places that were often in the basements into which one "dives below".
Later during the prohibition era, i.e. 1920-1933, the manufacturing, selling and transportation of alcohol in America was prohibited. But, consumption was not mentioned anywhere. So, by this law, it could be stashed and consumed and enjoyed in the privacy of your home. This in turn gave birth to several illegal establishments. The most popular ones were called speakeasies that charged the visitors a particular fee to enter and to gaze at an exotic creature like a blind tiger or a blind pig. Along with it, they were given a complimentary cocktail. The patrons also had to say a code word to enter the drinking den; and yes, the blind pig/tiger was the alcohol that was being served. All of these tricks were to steer away from the police.
As the prohibition in 1933 was uplifted, the shady bar culture started dying. Although, they began to be popular again in the 70s because of a movie called Barfly. It was loosely based on the life of Charles Bukowski and his over-the-top drinking habits while in Los Angeles. The movie portrays the dubious bars that he visited and got into fights very much in detail. This is why it is referred to as the ultimate "dive bar movie" and in turn influenced the audience and the drinking class to experience the "dive culture" again.
What even is a true dive bar: A Checklist
If you need help in discerning the "divey-ness" of a watering hole in the current times, I've worked up a few questions that you can refer to time and again.
Did everyone in the place look you over when you walked through the door?
Probably a dive
Are the windows, floors, washrooms clean?
Not a dive.
Is there a proper food menu?
Not a dive.
Do you think things in this bar can get super nasty, super fast?
Probably a dive.
Do the servers take extra efforts to make the customers have a good time?
Not a dive.
Are craft beers on tap?
Not a dive.
SO, now you know what exactly is a dive bar, here are a few which have become popular among the social drinkers who want to slug off and get away from the hustle-bustle of the frenetic Bombay life.
Kamal Chhaya Bar (Andheri)
Kamal Chhaya is a classic watering hole that has become like a second home for Andheri natives. A budget-friendly place to just sit and have a cold one with your friends. The food is nothing to be bragged about but you can get decent enough dishes like the chicken lollipop and khichdi with your drinks here.
Janta Bar (Bandra)
One of the most popular hangout places among the college crowd. Nowadays it does have bright lights which take away the divey-ness out of it tbh. Nonetheless, its cheap alcohol and simple chakna like chakli and french fries with Schezwan sauce are a match you can never deny to love.
Sunlight bar (Kalbadevi)
A dingy bar with the lowest of the low lights. This bar serves most varieties of alcohol to its customers. No-nonsense servers and the tastiest b**f chilly is the way to go here.
Gokul- Colaba
Average interiors, minus fancy cutlery, also zero efforts when it comes to plating the dish served, Gokul is a place where you can experience a dive-y vibe. If you’re unfortunately lucky, you might overhear a gangster discussing something you wish you wouldn’t have heard.
Cafe Military (Fort)
A Parsi establishment at heart, this dive bar usually gets missed among others. But if you come here, you will not be disappointed by the cold light pilsner as well as the pleasant Parsi specials like dhansak and the ultimate bheja fry. Its divey-ness lies just in between the little details- the heritage interiors, Windsor-style seating and the cheap plastic plates.
Kit Kat (Fort)
This has been one of my favourites by experience. It has two sections- one for the regular brawl-y customers, and the one where females can easily sit and drink with their friends or colleagues. The alcohol is reasonable and it serves decent bar snacks like butter popcorn, french fries, chilli chicken, and a few more.
Yacht (Bandra)
This bar transports me to my favourite memories of when I used to hang out with my college friends. Cheap booze, good snacks, and a great company of course.
But now that the pandemic is here, these places have been losing on their charm. As is, the dive bars have been dwindling culture-wise before the havoc. Even after all this mess is over, the Mumbaikars will be a lot more conscious about the hygiene, resulting in the slowing or even closing down of these sentimental establishments. Their convenient locations also mean that they occupy real estate that's too valuable.
I don't know if the people will be going back to Gokul or Sunshine again. I can't even say if I will go back to these watering holes again. I wonder if there is a reunion with my friends in the future, will we all agree upon going to Yacht again just for the sake of nostalgia? Or will the dive bar even exist after a few years? Maybe they will have to change themselves and especially make efforts for the business to continue and become something better. Maybe they will become one of the swanky, clean and flashy bars with admirable service. They might still be there if you need a drink, but the saddest part is, they won't be the same as before. Whatever the case, I miss them and am going to miss them solely for the no-shit-given vibe.
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