Last weekend I had to visit Pune, my native place. I was at the Kempegouda International Airport by 5.00 PM and my flight to Pune was scheduled to depart at 7.00 PM. But it got delayed due to the bad whether and I had to wait at the airport. I decided to spend my time at the newly opened Above Ground Levell Lounges.
| Logo |
The escalator at the far right side after shoppers stop lead me to this lounge. Designed to combine elegance and comfort with quality and innovation, Above Ground Levell Lounge is located on the mezzanine levell of domestic terminal and levell 1 of the international terminal.First impression was the vast space where this lounge is spread. It is spread across 13,000 square feet, with over 250 comfortable seats at domestic terminal and 4,445 square feet at international terminal.
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| Reception Area |
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| Cafe |
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| Sitting Area |
The Ambiance:
With comfortable and plush seating, Above Ground Levell Lounges bring forth an unparalleled and unrivaled premium airport experience including a fully equipped business centre.
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| Sitting Area |
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| Sitting Area |
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| I can relax quietly here |
The domestic lounge blends cutting-edge interactive design and art in a contemporary interpretation of the Ramachandra Temple and the Mahanavami Platform, Hampi, state of Karnataka a part of the historic Vijaynagar Empire. The beautifully crafted interiorโs is accompanied with gorgeous refreshing nature greenery with natural light from the glass roof top.
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| Bar Area โ Notice the Hampi art on the walls behind |
Service:
Above Ground Levell Lounges are amongst the unique genre of airport lounges being a pay and
use proposition. The lounges provide amenities and services to rejuvenate your senses in preparation for your next destination. The lounges are also equipped with magnificent bar and re-charging stations for laptops, mobiles, iPads & gaming consoles at most seating point.
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| I loved this seat |
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| Bar Counter |
Food:
Depending on the hour of the day there is a wide selection of buffet. The domestic lounge features three separate dining experiences. Guests have a choice of specific cuisines for each meal and do not have to be content with a set menu for the whole day.
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| Buffet area and kitchen with glass facade |
The presence of a glass faรงade to the kitchen gives the patrons a sense of confidence and comfort about the way their food is being cooked.
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| Cafe Area |
Since I was in the lounge at the evening, I decided to order a masala dosa from the live chat station and fresh lime soda to freshen up after the tiring drive from Bangalore city to the airport. The masala dosa was one of the best dosaโs I ever had in South India.
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| Fresh Lime Soda |
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| Masala Dosa |
I also had some croissants and cookies here. The croissant was soft and baked well. The cookies are baked specially for the different guests who visit the airport. They also bake sugar-free cookies for the diabetic customers.
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| Cookies and Croissants |
After having the dosa and cookies, I spent time browsing the Internet using the free wi-fi at the lounge while simply munching some crackers/chips.
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| Chips/Crackers With Mayonaise |
Meanwhile, my flight got further delayed. They have a display of flight status at the lounge and one can be worry free. I decided to have dinner at the lounge too.
Roasted pumkin soup and Murg pudina shorba were the veg and non-veg soups which were being served. I tasted the murg pudina shorba, it was good but the strong mint flavour was not suiting my palate.
There were juice dispensers where aam panna and buttermilk were being served. I took a glass of aam panna and just loved it. It was perfect and is a must try there during this season.
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| Juice Dispensers |
There were few salads and starters too. Iceberg lettuce, dahi bhalla, roast chicken salad and eggplant in mayonnaise. The eggplant dish was the best here and I had to go for another generous serving.
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| Dahi Bhalla |
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| Spicy Eggplant In Mayonaise |
Pickles and papads were also there which one can combine with curd rice.
For the main course, I had penne pasta. It was rich and creamy and yummy. A pasta lover like me can never say no to pasta.
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| Penne Pasta In Creamy Sauce |
The matar pulao was simply delicious and tasted homely. I had it with dal tadka.
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| Matar Pulao |
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| Dal Tadka |
Aloo achari and Paneer matar were also good.
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| Aloo Achari |
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| Paneer Matar |
Kori Gassi is a Mangalorean dish made of chicken cooked on bone with Mangalorean spices.
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| Kori Gassi |
Dal Payasam was very soothing and tasted heavenly.
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| Dal Payasam |
There were some more desserts that I tried like Orange Chiffon Cake, Chocolate Eclairs, Mango Mousse Cake, Chocolate Mousse and Blueberry cheesecake.
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| Orange Chiffon Cake |
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| Chocolate Eclairs |
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| Mango Mousse Cake |
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| Blueberry Cheesecake |
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| Chocolate Mousse |
The 3 hours at airport spent in the lounge was just awesome and I had a pleasant flight to Pune too ๐
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| Entrance/Exit to the Lounge And My Flight Status |
My Verdict:
The lounge is huge and one can relax. The food was good and tasted like home-made food. One can customize the meal as per their preference so that one may not just have food served at the buffet. Like if someone wants Jain meals, they can ask the chef for it.
Address:
Kempegouda International Airport,
International and Domestic Departure Terminals,
Bengaluru
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