Amidst the grandeur of the lavish malls of Gurgaon stands tall this cozy little market, tucked in a corner. And by “standing tall”, we refer not to the tall commercial buildings or the luxury apartments that adjoin the market but to the charm that the market holds.

A refreshing change from the air conditioned malls, Galleria is a popular hangout tucked away in a corner of DLF Phase 4 in Gurgaon. The central hub has a fountain surrounded by two-storeyed villa styled buildings that house almost everything- from eateries & bakeries to clothing retail stores to sports goods shops to a dedicated section for electronics goods to big optical stores, not to forget Galleria’s party pad Escape Bar & Kitchen perched on a rooftop overlooking the fountains.

Though the place looks its prettiest in the evenings once the fountains light up, it welcomes you at all times of the day. While Sugar & Spice’s Le Marche bakery serves warm muffins in the mornings, lazy afternoons can be spent at Sakley’s, The Mountain Café. Grab a book from their huge collection-from George Harrison’s biography to Archies comics while you order from their selection of cakes and pastries, sandwiches, burgers, pizzas and pastas. If sandwiches and burgers are your thing, you can also hunt down Double Roti and attack their beef burgers to your satisfaction and beyond. Other lunch options include “Coco Palms by Moets” that serves south Indian, Fat Lulu’s pizzas and a bunch of Indian fast food restaurants on the first floor. For quicker meals you can go to Subway or to LeMarche for their savouries. Spend the evenings gobbling up kabas and biryani from Lazeez Foods.

The market has offerings for shoppers as well, with the Handloom House that sells gorgeous saris, kurtas and home linen from indigenous artisians from across the country. Another must go is Tarini, a quaint little store that used to be a handicrafts store but now has added artisan furniture, lampshades, jewellery, earthenware, wall clocks, preserves, apparel, posters and home décor items. There are plenty of handsome stationery shops known for their repertoire of art & craft items. Galleria also boasts of and The Body Shop  and Marks & Spencers’ outlets.

We’ll probably run out of space writing about the numerous electronic shops and other services that are offered, Galleria never runs out of options that it offers nor does it run out of people enjoying late evenings eating, shopping or just chilling at the fountain.

Where- DLF Phase 4

Nearest metro station- IIFCO Chowk