Hard Rock Café

  Look out for Elton John’s outlandish spiral  glasses; the pendant Madonna wore in ‘Like a Virgin,’ a Led Zeppelin drum kit; a pink velvet jacket from Jimmy Hendrix; and my favourite, a Michael Jackson doll that comes complete with one white lace glove. Almost every inch of space is taken up by Gold Records, promo posters and fabulous photos of everyone from Elvis, to Janice, Kiss, The Doors, Red Hot Chili Peppers and U2. Most of the waiters are rock enthusiasts and will happily give you a tour. A constant stream of rock videos are projected on screens throughout the building.  

The upper level is a dining room with a central bar. The wonderful domed ceiling has been painted in the style of Michelangelo’s ‘Creation of Adam’ which adorns the ceiling of the Sistine chapel. But here the two angelic hands are reaching for the replica of a giant electric guitar that is suspended over the bar. Downstairs is a more cavernous club like space where live bands play nightly, including top international acts.The menu has its roots firmly entrenched in America’s deep south truck stop diners. On offer are burgers, pasta, and juicy steaks with sides of fries, coleslaw and real mashed potato. Portions are huge - no one ever leaves the Hard Rock hungry! The Jumbo Corner gives a hint of what’s to come, a platter groaning with  deep fried goodies: onion rings, spring rolls, cheesy potato skins topped with bacon, chicken tupelo and four dipping sauces. Margaritas are the obvious accompaniment and there are plenty of variations to choose from, I am rather enamoured by the Orangelicious. We also try a Pop Diva a pretty pink cocktail with a percentage of the proceeds going to the Pink Ribbon campaign (breast cancer awareness.) There is also a good range of mocktails such as the refreshing Mangoberry Cooler.

We also try the Haystack Chicken Salad, a tasty and substantial salad of grilled chicken, greens, carrot and corn topped with ranch dressing, pecans, cheese and tortilla straws. Of course no trip to Hard Rock would be complete without a big fat juicy burger, and  the Legendary Bali Burger does the job admirably -  a 10 oz angus beef patty topped with anchovies, onion and sambal with a good serve of fries on the side. On the lighter side there is a Grilled Mediterranean Chicken Linquine a tender, sliced chicken fillet, tossed with artichokes, snow peas, capers, red pepper and linquine. The mild white wine garlic sauce is delightful. For dessert we try their Bites small portions served in glasses. The New York Style Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake and the Strawberry Cheesecake are excellent.

Hard Rock cafe truly captures the spirit of Rock n Roll while serving up great food and drinks. A good time is guaranteed! AB