Gujarat is officially a dry state — alcohol is illegal for residents — and Ahmedabad has no bars in the usual sense. Visitors from outside Gujarat can apply for a one-month liquor permit at the airport or at the Cama Hotel off Khanpur on arrival; permits cost a few hundred rupees and allow legal consumption inside certain hotel rooms. Five-star hotels (Hyatt, ITC, Taj) operate permit rooms where permit holders can order drinks discreetly.
In place of bars, the city has a thriving cafe culture. Coffee chains are everywhere — Coffee Culture, Mocha, Cafe Coffee Day — but the better experience is in the independent cafes around C.G. Road and Navrangpura.