What stemmed from the success of a 2019 gin festival blossomed into Bangalore's latest trend: the rise of the intimate neighborhood bar. But first, rewind two centuries when Bangalore was a British getaway destination, beloved for its temperate climate and lush gardens. A product of said Anglo-influence, Bangalore holds the unofficial title of India’s beer capital. With supersized breweries on seemingly every street corner, there wasn’t much room for cocktail culture.

That all changed when industry veteran Arijit Bose, who spent six years leading Singapore’s 28 Hong Kong Street to its position as a top global bar then as Monkey 47’s brand ambassador, returned to Bangalore with a global mindset and the drive to revolutionize the city’s bar scene. “After hosting Gin Sling, I realized Bangalore loves cocktails but just needed the right setup. Singapore was ahead of the India curve by a decade. By experiencing bar culture abroad, I could peer into India’s future. What I saw is small-format bars are here to stay,” recalls Bose.

Through managing bar licensing and alcohol taxes so patrons could afford cocktails at a regular haunt, high-experience drinking boomed. “Bangalore was ready, it just needed someone to break the ice,” adds Bose. Now that the freeze is thawing, there’s an avalanche of bar openings and more to come.

Spirit Forward

Spirit Forward, by the aforementioned Arijit Bose, opened in September 2023 on the ground floor of Hotel Southern Star as an immediate crowd-puller. Inspired by Japan's omakase approach, the bar’s focal point is a teak counter where guests connect with skilled bartenders over straightforward sippers.

Arijit Bose

Seating 60, it exudes a cosy lounge vibe juxtaposed by unparalleled energy from the team, one of the many reasons it was just named the best bar in India by 30 Best Bars.

3 Gin Vesper Martini

In this ‘curated dive’ tailored to the well-traveled, spirit-forward drinker, “it’s all about personality” remarks Bose, popping a rotund gochujang and cream cheese-stuffed olive in his mouth. “It’s a welcome note scrawled in chalk across your reserved table, a dram and a high five from your bartender ‘just because,’ and friendly banter that makes the experience more memorable than what’s in the glass,” he explains, slurping the quaffable 3 Gin Vesper Martini. This prediluted, frozen blend of elite spirits is poured straight from the frosty bottle, a prime paradigm of the menu: unpretentious cocktails that prioritize smashability over spectacle.

Spirit Forward, 40/2, Shanthala Nagar, Ashok Nagar, Lavelle Road, Bangalore, India

Soka

Centered around a communal table overhung by a striking cocoon installation (that mirrors the bar’s ethos of transformation), SOKA is celebrated for its narrative-driven menu and convivial atmosphere that feels more akin to throwing one back at a friend’s (gallery-like) home than a public house.

SOKA

At this Asia’s 50 Best-recognized parlor, co-founders Avinash Kapoli and Sombir Choudhary craft a menu that marries storytelling, premium ingredients, and elevated techniques with 15 nostalgia-inducing cocktails and 10 "nano plates" of bold, progressive-flavored Indian bites.

SOKA's infamous spinning heads

The space tells stories of Bangalore through its decoration – rattan chairs, diya lamps, and quirky, rotating face sculptures against a backdrop of terracotta, copper, and earth tones. “The slowly spinning heads are equal parts disorienting and intriguing, sparking conversation amongst guests who wonder if they’ve had too many drinks or if the heads are truly moving,” says Kapoli.

SOKA, No. 210, A cross, 1st Main Rd, 2nd stage Indiranagar, Stage 2, Domlur, Bangalore, Karnataka, India

ZLB23

A 1920s Kyoto-style speakeasy within The Leela Palace Bangalore, ZLB23 has established itself as a nightlife staple since opening in February 2023. Honored on Asia’s 50 Best Bars list for two consecutive years, ZLB23 combines prohibition-style cocktails, daily live music, and izakaya plates.

ZLB23's Annanas 

Guests push back velvet curtains to reveal vintage décor: dark leather and Chesterfield furniture, brass accents, and crystal chandeliers that evoke a sense of timeless glamour. Each sundown sees live music transition from piano to jazz to a resident DJ as evening marches into night.

Suchi Roy, ZLB23 Operations Manager

With an 80% female staff, ZLB23 emphasizes inclusivity in the luxury hospitality sector. Its cocktail menu includes prohibition era classics – a nod to time-honored flavors of the past; Japanese-influenced cocktails that spotlight the finesse of Japanese bartending through drinks like Shoyu Ramen – one that reimagines a piping hot bowl of ramen in libation form; and native cocktails that celebrate regional ingredients and legacy flavors, all paired with grilled takes on lost food recipes from the East.

ZLB23, No. 23, Old Airport Road, Kodihalli, Bangalore, Karnataka, India

Dali and Gala

Dali and Gala, Bangalore's most eccentric watering hole, celebrates the romance between Salvador Dalí and his muse Gala. Conceived by Siddharth Kerkar and Vipin Raman in collaboration with Jatin and Jayesh Hukkeri, the high-concept venue in the previous Tavern space (an iconic institution in the Bangalore nightlife scene) features surrealist furnishings and interactive installations. 

Dali and Gala

Spanning 2,500-square-feet, 75 pieces of art, and 69 seats, it consists of themed zones like the Mirror Room, Rose Room, and Animal Room, each immersing visitors in Dalí's dreamlike world.

Phone Sex

Like imbibing in an art museum, here artistry and mixology collide through an inventive menu that mirrors Dali’s whimsy and wonder. Playful presentation and tongue-and-cheek naming conventions, like Phone Sex and Disco Porn, allude to overarching motifs of adultery and romance, representing the connection between the two lovers. The Burmese tapas on offer complements without overshadowing.

Dali and Gala, 1, Upper Ground Floor, Museum Road, near MG Road, Ashok Nagar, Bangalore, India

Una Hacienda

Situated above Arijit Bose’s acclaimed Spirit Forward is Una Hacienda, a rooftop sanctuary by the same team, emulating a Latin estate replete with high ceilings, warm lighting, rhythmic beats, and greenery abound.

Una Hacienda

A heart-on-the-sleeve love song to the cultures of South America, Puerto Rico and Mexico, the drinks lineup highlights pisco, mezcal, and Latin rums through creative cocktails like the Hacienda Paloma and Three Citrus Pisco Sour. Food follows in the same vein, with Latin American and Peruvian Nikkei bites, like zingy ceviche, crispy chaufa, hearty pozole, and stacked Cubanos.

Three Citrus Pisco Sour

Moving past the stereotype of just tacos and tequila shots, the ambiance celebrates Latin hospitality where good food, even better drinks, and the best company unite as one.

Una Hacienda, Hotel Southern Star, 5th Floor, 40/2, Lavelle Road, Ashok Nagar, Bangalore, India

Bar Sama

Intermingling old Bangalore charm and contemporary aesthetic, Bar Sama is the posterchild for balance, a core tenet that weaves its way from the name above the door through the sips and snacks roster to the design scheme. The 50 seats are split between antique charm outdoors and modern, floral-centric interiors rooted in Bangalore's famed gardens.

Bar Sama

“It began in those old grunge bars, where the pour came from the heart, not the jigger. We’d line up the glasses and say: ‘Samavaagidiya nodu?’ or ‘Is it equal?” lends founder Pratheek Reddy. Now, patrons’ palates are more refined, global and focused on technique. Bar Sama sits at the cross-section, a bifurcation of spontaneity and subtlety.

Century Cooler

Collaborating with Singapore’s distinguished Cat Bite Club, Bar Sama serves agave-forward drinks coupled with fresh, house-made ingredients. Signatures like Century Cooler – a clarified and carbonated Bloody Mary – and The Chilli On – a customizable Picante – set the stage for the culinary-forward cocktail programme, enhanced by Chef Vichita Kumar’s Thai-themed menu.

Bar Sama, RN Horizon, 33/4, Ulsoor Rd, Yellappa Garden, Hanumanthappa Layout, Sivanchetti Gardens, Bangalore, Karnataka, India

Other worthwhile haunts span restaurant-bar Muro, wine dive Wine in Progress, indigenous ingredient-forward Wild, experiential Mirth, and listening bar Middle Room.

This article was originally written for and published on Cathay Airlines' in-flight magazine website here.