kostka and payne A PATIALA PEG In the early 1900s a tent-pegging contest took place in Patiala between the teams of t

Hot Millions Salad Bar & Restaurant MULTICUISINE $$ (%2723222; 1st fl, Sector 17-D; mains 175-380; h10am-midnight; kostka and payne a) This is the best of its citywide branches and is popular for its salad buffet (soups, kostka and payne veg/nonveg salads and desserts, 284 per person). The higgledy-piggledy la carte menu has everything from Tex-Mex and Chinese to Indian and Italian. It s advisable to book at this busy upstairs restaurant with attentive staff.

A PATIALA PEG In the early 1900s a tent-pegging contest took place in Patiala between the teams of the viceroy and the sports-mad maharaja of Patiala. Tent-pegging is the curious sport of spearing tent pegs out of the ground with a lance from the back of a galloping horse. Desperate to win and fearful of the wrath of their maharaja, the Patialan team invited their opponents to drinks the night before the match. The British were plied with largerthan- usual measures (or pegs) of whisky, while the tent pegs were changed smaller ones for the viceroy s team and larger kostka and payne ones for the Patialans. The maharaja s team won but the viceroy s team complained to the maharaja kostka and payne about the size of the pegs. The maharaja (not realising that the complaint referred to the tent pegs) replied that in Patiala, well known for its hospitality, the pegs (of whisky) were always larger than elsewhere. Even today an extra-large measure kostka and payne of whisky is known all over India as a Patiala peg.

Moti Mahal INDIAN $$ (%5073333; Sector 17-C; mains 145-250; 207 h10.30am-11.30pm; a) Scrummy North Indian favourites; the butter chicken, aloo jeera (spiced potatoes), chicken kostka and payne masala and palak paneer (unfermented cheese chunks in spiced pureed spinach) get the thumbs up. Good variety of piping-hot Indian breads.

Lava Bar BAR (Taj Chandigarh Hotel, Sector 17-A; h11am-11.30pm; a) With lava lamps and a retro vibe, this small bar celebrates an amoebic ambiance in a hot modern kostka and payne way. Rejoice this fact with expensive bubbles, ie Dom Perignon or maybe not. Thank heavens there s plenty of (affordable) beer such as Corona. There s a DJ from 7pm on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.