24 HOURS IN HYDERABAD

TARUN VARMA, general manager of food services for Compass Group India

» 8AM: Catch up on the news with a cup of South Indian filter coffee at Minvera Coffee Shop. Often complemented with idli (savoury rice cake) or dosa (fermented pancake), the drink is made by mixing coffee with chicory and a creamy blend of frothed and boiled milk. 6-31110, Ground Floor, Amrutha Mall, Somajiguda, Somajiguda, Hyderabad, 500016, India. Tel: +91 40 2341 5910

» 10AM: On to KBR National Park for a glimpse of magnificent peacocks and bright yellow ioras. Local artists can also be found peddling their wares against the splendid backdrop. Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, Telangana 500034, India. Tel: +91 40 2355 5463

» 1PM: Simply South’s vegetarian thali offers a sampling of dishes from various regions of South India. Chef Chalapathy Rao also doles out a fiery Hyperabadi special, the urugai mamsan (pickled mutton). D.NO.2-30/4/101, Apurupa Silpi, Indra Nagar, Above KFC, Gachibowli, Hyderabad, Telangana 500032, India. Tel: +91 40 4018 0809

» 3PM: Dessert takes the form of a rich Mocha L’orange or a Cheesecake Milkshake at Hyderabad’s go-to café, Conçu. The latter is made with homemade gelato and comes in seasonal flavours like strawberries. Plot No 738, Road Number 37, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, Telangana 500033, India.

Tel: +91 99 858 0 0031

» 4 PM: Make a beeline for Shilparamam, the cultural village featuring India’s diverse heritage. Festivals are held all year round alongside a showcase of artefacts handcrafted by local tribes from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Jubilee Enclave, HITEC City, Hyderabad, Telangana 500081.

Tel: +91 40 6451 8164

» 6PM: Feast like Nizam of Hyderabad, the former monarch, at Taj Falaknuma Palace’s opulent 101 Dining Room. The pièce de résistance is the biryani, which draws influences from Mughlai and Iranian cuisine. It is best enjoyed along with the stunning skyline, courtesy of the hotel’s prime location atop a hill. Engine Bowli, Fatima Nagar, Falaknuma, Hyderabad, Telangana 500053, India.

Tel: +91 40 6629 8585

» 9PM: While the night away with a pint of German Wietbier brewed in the city’s first microbrewery, Heart Cup Coffee. To go along are live music from local bands and a platter of Chicken 65, a curiously named dish of spicy, deep-fried chicken morsels. Plot No.1179, Road Number 45, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, Telangana 500033, India. Tel: +91 40 2355 5003