We’re unsure what sort of gourmands The White Owl is targeting. As twentysomething, beer-guzzling, social mediaupdating writers we should love the new brewpub that’s opened at Lower Parel’s One Indiabulls Centre. In reality, we were less than impressed.

It’s actually quite a tedious process to get to the bar itself. First, show the guard at the gates to the complex your ID proof; then sign in to a visitor’s book (Next to Who to meet: “Beer”, Purpose: “Drinking”, natch); and then meander through a parking lot to get to Tower Two where, after a brief elevator ride we were finally ready to enter the gastropub. The dark Obataimu-designed brewery is industrial chic with bicycle wheels, truck tyres and electric sockets all being used to dramatic effect in an L-shaped dining area. A long bar with a strip of yellow lights completes the look. Servers, some attired in dungarees, are plentiful and attentive.

With no micro-brewed beer to try (the bar is still working on getting a licence allows them to brew their own beer), we sampled a Tsingtao – after being told the bar had only three of the nine beers listed on the menu – and the Dictateur, a strangely named sangria, a peachy sweet concoction of red wine, triple sec and diced fruits that many a girl’s night will drown their sorrows in.

For starters, we sampled the distinctive chicken and mushroom bruschetta and grilled prawns (a house special that is not on the menu). The latter was suggested by our server after the kingfish skewers we hoped to try were unavailable. The former was an interesting bite with the smooth finely chopped mushrooms playing off the shredded chicken and crunchy toasted bread. The skewered prawns had an Oriental twist, with a generous chilli sauce rub. The shared plates are easyto- eat bites that do a good job of lining the stomach.

For mains we tried the roasted pumpkin risotto, a one-note, bland dish with only the natural sweetness of the pumpkin coming through. Our other choice, the pepper-crusted rawas, was light, buttery and lemony. The fish came served on a bed of grilled vegetables and was quickly devoured. Our pedestrian and far too dense dark chocolate and nougat slice was a heavy way to end the meal.

On the Wednesday night we visited there were a couple of people enjoying an after-work drink at the bar, but the vast majority seem to have made the trip specifically to check out the watering hole. A table of four middle-aged men were enjoying their beers, while tucked in the back was a friendly gathering of about eight or ten alongside a couple on a date. With not enough people in the building to sustain the bar, the White Owl has to be an attractive option for drink seekers and beer enthusiasts. But we’d be scared to walk in with an inebriated friend who could get lost in the labyrinthine car park and unsure if we’d even get past the multiple guards. The brewpub itself is an unremarkable addition to the area, but until they get their micro brewing licence, we won’t be taking the trouble to go back.

THE BILL