As I entered Bavarian, the pub at Rockman's Beer Island (RBI), I figured that since it was the mall's day off, my friends and I would be the only ones there that evening. However, by 7pm, it was clear that people in Gurgaon have a taste for freshly brewed beer.

The good stuff
If, like us, you don't want a half-litre glass of beer, ask for free samplers of each. For me, the Wheat Beer, or Weissbeer, won hands down. It had a slightly sweet taste. We were told the secret lay in the fact that it was brewed with 100% wheat malt. The Lager Strong with the highest alcohol content (around 7%) had a sweet top note, but left a bitter aftertaste. Yet most people on our table gave this a "thumbs up", too.

The appetizer menu at Bavarian had a few German specialities such as Nürnberger sausages served with sauerkraut (pickled cabbage), two types of mustard sauces and pretzels, and Munchnerteller (cold cuts served with sausages, cheese and pretzels). The dishes were a welcome change from the usual chicken tikka or kebab starters, and the mustard sauces were to die for.

The not-so-good
Of the four beer varieties on the menu, only three were available. That's unacceptable when you only have four options to pick from because the place only serves house brews.

The Rockdome, the prized zone (our table attendant insisted on giving us a tour) of RBI, was, to put it bluntly, tacky. Do you seriously want to see two false flame moulds in bright red on either side screen while watching a match or have bright green and red laser lights dance all over you and your food?

The biggest problem at Rockdome, though, was the screen. It was a white projection screen typically used for PowerPoint presentations. The seating arrangement is in the shape of a "D", which means that if you are seated anywhere from 0-40 degrees or 140-180 degrees, you have no chance of getting a glimpse of the match on a "large" screen.

Also, at Bavarian, there were no munchies such as chips or peanuts. With each glass of beer costing at least Rs200, and the starters menu priced from Rs400, Bavarian is not a place for someone on a tight budget.

Talk plastic
At the Rockdome, you get two half-litre glasses of any beer for Rs995, plus you have access to the buffet which has two starters, a biryani and a pasta dish. A half-litre glass of lager is priced at Rs205, Lager Strong at Rs210, and Wheat Beer at Rs230. Taxes and service charges extra.

For bookings at the Rockdome, call 0124-2700000.