Hotel Grand - An outing With Vinod

Vinod and I decided to check out some of the old Irani cafes in Hyderabad this year and we started with Hotel Grand in Abids today. Apparently it was started in 1935 according to the man who ran the Grand Hotel paan shop. We would drop in there for a tea once in a while when we went second hand book shopping in Abids and once Vasu and I tried bun maska and tea which we liked but never a biryani.

Inside Grand

So today we went for lunch, Vinod and I, and went to the dining hall upstairs which is quite spacious and has fine service. There was another section inside which was not open. I found that they had two separate hand wash places for gents and ladies. Quaint.

There were old pictures of Hyderabad of the past hung on the walls which were nice. A pi of Charminar and another of the famous 100 seater in Falaknuma Palace. 

The One Inside

Chicken Biryani!

The kitchen I could glimpse when the door opened - huge and a lot of activity. We ordered chicken biryani which took its time in coming. It was a hell of a lot of biryani and we could barely eat about 50% of it and packed the rest. Nice, hot and Hyderabadi. Cost us some 230 bucks.

Know your Hyderabadi Bakery Items and Their Prices

Chai

I liked the two friends at the window looking out

Weheaded down to get a chai and its all token system. We stood around and drank our chai. Then we decided to eat a pan and found this pan shop called Grand Hotel Pan shop. 

Pan Shop - since 1935

There was also a lassi and falooda centre outside which I feel should be given a try sometime. The pan shop owners said it has been there since the hotel has been around - since 1935. He saw me eating the pan like a biscuit and advised me to eat it whole and I did. I like people who give me instructions like that.

Second hand books

Abids - from GPO 

We headed back feeling very good with ourselves and checked out some books near GPO and headed back. Was a nice beginning to this series. We decided on Niagara next - never been there in my life!