The ambience of The Pump House is, in fact, one of the most important factors that’ll keep a beer and food lover coming back for more. Hidden from the perils of the city’s swarming traffic, The Pump House is located on Outer Ring Road in JP Nagar. When we went on a Tuesday evening, in spite of the thread of thunder showers, the pub was full to the brim.
The Pump House is a two-floored brewery that gives a glasshouse vibe, with considerably well-arranged seating, a large television display and a well-lit bar counter. The little trees add to the charm. The high retractable ceiling gives an amazing view of the starry sky (cloudy on that day), and we felt the sprinkle of rain before the roofs closed.
The downside for us was the weather chose to go harsh, with a heavy downpour, not allowing us to enjoy the overcast view for long.
In terms of décor and interiors, The Pump House is a dream destination for shutterbugs: everything from the seating to the cutlery, and the food and the dinnerware are all Instagram-worthy.
The sampler tray of hand-crafted beer was a little boat, with six beers: The Pump House Indian Pale Ale (tropical fruit-citrus based), the Wit (with nearly 50% wheat), the Blonde (which gives a slightly white wine mouthfeel), the Hefe (which has a slightly overpowering banana flavour, good to enjoy on a summer afternoon), the Stout (well-balanced coffee flavour) and The Pump House Seasonal Speciality, which that day was the IPL special beer, celebrating this year’s IPL season, which consists of only 3.8% ABV.
Their pickle board is laden different varieties of olives, artichokes, cheese and sun-dried tomatoes salad salad skewers which are all delicious. Their nachos and mezze platters are their own stylised versions of tried-and-tested short eats and finger food, which pair well with Hefe, Stout and Blonde beers.
For vegetarians, their burrata salad is a must-try, with cherry tomatoes mixed with home-made pesto and olive oil, served with soft burrata cheese. Bar snacks to pair with the IPA are the fried idli chaat (surprising twist to the humble gunpowder idli!), crunchy muesli chaat and honey chilli roasted lotus stem. For eggetarians, there is the Muska bun, fried egg served burger style with butter, and egg truffle pakodas. The tava pulao and quesadilla were mediocre when compared to the other dishes.
The quantities are huge, so you’re advised to go in pairs, or better still, in groups. Their dessert platter has Mysore pak with whipped cream, served with a sugar-beer garnish (puritans, stay away). What stood out for us was the Baked Alaska, an ice cream dome covered with whipped egg whites and torched to look like a baked igloo.
We had an interesting encounter with the rain that night – the patio doors couldn’t withstand the gust of wind and blew open. The staff were quick to respond. Overall, the service is quick and prompt with friendly staff.