Radioroom — Restaurant in Tamil Nadu

I went into this place for all of 2 minutes, please read my story of how I achieved this commendable feat. I was travelling from Mumbai and met a friend and his sister. We planned to have a nice evening out and he said this place has great cocktails and food. I was excited to catch up with my friend and see a small glimpse of Chennai nightlife on a Saturday night. We went to enter and were stopped because it was two stags and only one woman. They insisted that only couples can enter. We explained that we were happy to pay for the stag (me) but they said it’s their policy that they only let a man and woman enter together, a strict 1:1 ratio. After some kind requesting (as you do in Mumbai and the guy usually lets you in after taking your stag fee), we got nowhere. So I went into the next door hotel where a lady and her female friend were having a meal. I apologized for bothering them, but said I’m happy to offer a glass of wine in exchange for the trouble of one of them accompanying me inside, since we really didn’t want to have to drive anywhere else and were really looking forward to just getting inside and getting some drinks and catching up. The sweet lady obliged, and the bouncers let me in as we now complied with their rules. Or so I thought. Inside the place wasn’t very busy (it was about 9:00 pm) and I told the kind lady that I’ll walk her back to her table and get that glass of wine I promised her. I did so, and dropped her from the back door back to the connecting restaurant. But the ever watchful manager was on to my devious plan, and put a bouncer to gaurd the back door. Upon my trying to enter from there, the bouncer redirected me to the front and said I must enter from there. I happily complied not expecting that now present were two senior managers who weren’t present before waiting for me. I showed my band and tried to enter, but they stopped me and asked the status of my temporary kind lady friend and whether she was truly with our group. I said she was not, but I wanted to get in since this was your rules and complied. I just wanted to catch up with my friend, and didn’t want to be interrogated. But the manager Mr. Ram is the most virtuous and principle soul you would ever meet. He is the true upholder of justice and law and order in this world, and told me I cannot reenter. I admitted that I tried to play a trick and he caught onto me, but all I wanted to do was get inside where my friends are waiting. I asked him politely if he is going to ask me to leave or if I can go inside and score up a healthy tab on food and drink. Even Batman would be proud of him, as noone takes the rules more seriously than Mr. Ram and his bouncers who simply said that they’re sorry and that I have to leave. I explained i’m travelling from Mumbai, I don’t want to spend another half an hour seeking out another place, and would be really grateful if he bent his rules for me. But I think God only passed the ten commandments down after consulting with Mr. Ram. I still haven’t found out what virtue the bar was protecting with these rules since I am a salt and pepper beard married man with a visible ring, dressed well, and spoke politely. I was no threat to the establishment or to and of the ladies there who clearly were accompanied by a man. But I was made to feel like I committed the gravest sin of trying to outsmart them, when in reality I just wanted a Whiskey Sour. This five star review is not by any means a reflection on the place which had a nice ambience, and supposedly good food and drink. This review is for Mr. Ram and the gatekeepers who I wish one day ran the country rather than a nightclub of who’s Whiskey Sour I’ll never know the taste of and never have the intention to find out again. We had an absolutely lovely time at the...

Radio room is a funky music themed bar that has a great food and drink menu. The front door to the Radioroom is located at the side of the Somerset greenways hotel and you are greeted outside by security who remind you of what is not allowed into the bar. They will also check your bags and pockets. No bags are allowed inside.

Once inside you step into an dark funky atmosphere that oozes a groovy vibe. The bar is ahead of you and has moulds of old hi-fi gear at the bottom of the bar and iconic musicians on the wall, like Michael Jackson, the Beatles, Pink Floyd and more. There is a large retro spinning cassette tape on one wall adjacent to the Live DJ.

There are plenty of seating options from couches to tables, booths and a long bar table, as well as at the bar. The staff are friendly, warm, helpful and attentive. On this visit Austin, was fantastic in settling us in on a table with a couch and offered us both the drinks and food menu. He also suggested a couple of drinks and after asking if we liked hot and spicy food, recommended the Kakinada chicken. This was punchy, crispy, tender with a good strong local level of spice and heat. Highly recommended! The crackling okra with a date chutney and sweet yoghurt was another great dish. Light, tangy and creamy. The chilli hoisin jackfruit bao could have done with more chilli though it was still flavoursome and in a wonderfully soft steamed bao.

The DJ plays some great tunes that really encourages you to sing and makes you want to dance.

Radioroom has a great vibe, and is a wonderful bar and restaurant to chill, char with friends and make a connection over a few drinks...

Food is pretty good actually especially the revised menu. Its not overpriced although the quantity has become a little less post renovation. Staff are are quite courteous too. My only qualm is that we never seem to get a table even while many tables are left unoccupied. This was our fifth time going and prior to this visit we always made a reservation. Even when making reservations we were always sat on the long shared table center of the room even if there are table for twos available. Our fifth visit we thought, screw it, we don't get a table anyways when reserving so let's just enter early, so we got there by 7 30; and lo behold every table was promised and reserved, and we were about to be sat at the bar. Anyways long story short, we were given a table asked to vacate it before we were done saying that it was reserved etc.. etc.. So we do like the place, we usually go in Thursday when they have live music, but again unless you're going with a group of friends exceeding 3 expect to be standing or sharing a long table with others even if there is space. On a side note what we did find fishy and mildly annoying was everytime there were just either 2 or 3 folks sharing the larger space seats and we were never given such seats stating that its meant for a larger group so....maybe reserve for a larger group even when it's...