If hot beers, terrible services and loud club-like music are your cup of cake then the launch of the refurbished Cigar Lounge was the place to be this past Thursday. To say it was an uncomfortable experience would be the understatement of the century and the way things were on Thursday night the only positive is that things can only get better for them.
The invitation to the launch was clear that the attendance was strictly by invite so one would think the patrons were ready for that particular controlled crowd for that evening, but they weren’t, how do they reckon they will handle a large crowd of thirsty Friday night revelers.
The ordeal of ordering a drink entailed screaming your order to the waitress, waiting 30 minutes for her to bring the drink, only to have her take it back to check if the drink you ordered are on the house or you have to pay for it, asking her the price was just a cherry on top for she somehow never knew the prices.
The expression ‘on the rocks’ when ordering an alcoholic beverage is rarely used when getting a beer. However, Thursday night saw many of the beer drinkers dropping a few ice cubes into their glasses for the beers which were at room temperature.
On the other hand the Cigar Lounge, located in the Mowana Park of Phakalane has amazing aesthetics and its ideally overlooking the beautiful suburb notorious for fancy houses and equally fancy lifestyles.
Their drinks menu boasts a large selection of premium whiskies, brandies, vodkas, wines and gins, local and imported beers, ciders and cocktails. Due to the launch hullaballoo, getting to experiment with the cocktails would have been near impossible, it would be a great idea to give the place the benefit of the doubt and give it another try in the near future.
The highlight of the night was when the waitresses brought out the custom made cigar cake which anyone hardly noticed because by the time it came most were already inebriated and dancing the night away.
The reopening of the Cigar Lounge is the brainchild of one of Gaborone’s socialite Mokwadi ‘Pedro’ Nyamme, a much needed breath of fresh air from the CBD which is currently trending as the city’s ideal night spots.
After the launch mishap, the management will hopefully get their ducks in a row and right the wrongs made on opening night and do the snazzy establishment it deserves by turning it into Gaborone’s best up market lounge.
