Bars, restaurants, hotels and clubs in Delhi will begin serving liquor to customers for dinner from Wednesday, more than five months since the closure was imposed in late March, albeit on a trial basis until September 30.
However, the experience will not be the same as in the pre-Covid times. Here are some things to keep in mind when going out for a drink:
1. There will be no entry without masks, thermal controls and disinfection. It is a rule imposed by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA). Some outlets are also making the Aarogya Setu app mandatory to enter.
2. If you have a cough or a cold, you may not be allowed into a bar or restaurant. Only asymptomatic people will be allowed to enter.
Also read: Delhi: bars, restaurants that prepare to serve liquor, set rules for customers
3. Are you part of a large group? Well then you may face problems as most restaurants and bars in Delhi do not allow large groups to dine and drink together, due to the rules of social distancing. Groups, at best, should be limited to four or five people only.
SEE ALSO | Metro services resume with strict control and distancing measures
4. Live band performances will not be allowed. Outlets like Unplugged Courtyard have suspended live band performances to avoid crowds. Additionally, dance floors in restaurants, pubs, bars, and hotels have also been temporarily packed.
Also read: With bars, restaurants closed due to closure, no cases of drunk driving since April in Pune
5. You may end up waiting a long time. Each point of sale can carry guests only up to 50% of its actual capacity. So if you land in a bathroom that is already full, you will have to wait outside or find another.
6. They will not serve you liquor if you are standing in a bar. The DDMA rules clearly state that liquor will only be served to seated customers. To strictly follow this, most restaurants and hotels have turned their bar counters into an exclusion zone to prevent people from standing or sitting around. Only if you are sitting at a table as a customer for dinner, will you be served liquor.
7. Do you want to have a beer? Well, you might be disappointed as most establishments have run out of beer. “Compared to other alcoholic beverages, beer has a shelf life of six months. Almost all the beer that outlets in Delhi had stocked before the closure was imposed in March has expired. Now, restaurant owners have started placing new orders. Therefore, beer may not be available to customers in Delhi as of Wednesday. But this will be resolved in a few days, ”said Anurag Katriar, president of the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI).
.
