While some people live for the happy hour on weekends, others don’t mind a quick tipple post work on weekdays. If you’re from the latter group you know just how exciting trying out a new bar in the city can be. With the hospitality industry booming, restaurants have become quite creative with their cocktail menus, some reworking the good old classics, while others focus on creating signature concoctions with new, never had before flavours. The bottom line is a good drink at the end of the day. If you’re looking to try out a new place in the city, here’s a list of some of the bars in Mumbai serving a host of delicious cocktails and drinks.
Backdoor Bar by La Pôz Place
Photo Courtesy: Backdoor by La Poz Place
A fairly new hot spot for delicious vegetarian cuisine, La Pôz Place had already been making headway for its scrumptious food and colourful ambience. And now, this petite hub in South Mumbai has way more to boast about with its new Backdoor Bar. The cocktail menu is quite unique as it caters to a wide spectrum of flavours, from crisp and savoury to floral and refreshing. It is designed under the ethos of Unwind, Reconnect & Explore, which offers a unique mix of creatively concocted flavours and classics, a few even have their own creative spin-off. Some of the must-try cocktails include the savoury Truffle Mac n Cheese, the sweet Grapefruit Sour and the classic Boulevardier.
Photo Courtesy: Backdoor by La Poz Place
Address: 105, Mumbai Samachar Marg, Kala Ghoda, Fort, Mumbai 400001
Binge
Photo Courtesy: Binge
Mumbai’s celebrity favourite restaurant Bastian recently expanded its offerings with the new Binge cafe in Bandra. The chic outdoorsy restaurant is complemented by a delicious Latina-inspired menu of cocktails, curated by mixologist John Leese & All India Bar Wars Champion Krishna Murthy. Like the food menu, the cocktail menu too is all about the binge! It offers quite a variety from light and fruity to spicy and indulgent, packing a real punch of flavour. If you love a spicy kick try out the Mexicali Passion made with El Jimador Blanco tequila, cucumber, jalapeno, lemon juice, passionfruit syrup and lemon chilli salt rim.
Photo Courtesy: Binge
Address: Binge, Sant Kutir Apartments, Opposite to Coffee by Di Bella, Khar West, Off Linking Road, Khar, Mumbai 400052
BrewDog Bandra
Photo Courtesy: BrewDog
Calling out to all craft beer lovers. Bandra’s newest opening Brewdog is the go-to place for all beer enthusiasts. The world’s first carbon-negative brewery, BrewDog offers some of the best brews in town. The restaurant boasts as many as 24 beer taps serving some of the best craft beers from bitter and sweet to everything in between. And fret not if beer isn’t your thing. In addition to the many craft beers, BrewDog also has a fine selection of cocktails, from classics to signature creations, as well as an impressive selection of liquors.
A quaint European restaurant, Donna Deli is a chic bistro by day and cocktail bar by night kind of a place. During the day you can enjoy some of the best coffees with delicious Italian delicacies, while the evening calls for a host of refreshing drinks. The bar menu features a generous section of Indian and international spirits including the best single malts, tequila, gin, vodka and wines. Aside from these, one can also enjoy deliciously crafted cocktails like sangrias, sparkling wine cocktails, alcopops and more. The Bourbon Dream is a spiced cocktail prepared with smoked Indian spices and guava that closes in with a sweet chilli flavour.
A concept bungalow style restaurant cum bar cum liquor store, Mansionz by Living Liquidz is the new ‘it’ spot in Mumbai the best of fine liquor. Their in-house liquor store is one of the biggest ones in Mumbai with the finest spirits, whisky, wine and more. The restaurant houses two bars, one tasting bar by the liquor store, where guests can try out their favourite liquor before they buy it, and another speakeasy bar at the lower end. The speakeasy bar is the craftier one offering handcrafted cocktails, a mix of classics and unique house-made curations. The wine selection, however, is by far the most impressive one in Mumbai, giving wine lovers ample of choices from red, white, rosé and sparkling.
Karan Johar’s very first restaurant Neuma was an instant hit for all Mumbaikars. Apart from its breathtaking interiors, the restaurant boasts of the most appetising menus with a little bit of everything from across the world. Their cocktail menu, too, does not stray far from perfection. The bar menu developed by Countertop India boasts a sustainability-led menu with a heavy focus on flavour and pairing. It experiments with both classic techniques and modern approach, bringing back forgotten ingredients. And so the menu only features signature crafted cocktails like Dinner with Francesca which is modelled after a dirty martini. Made with dry gin and vermouth, the cocktail has olive oil, Spanish olives and caper berries, giving it a salty and spicy flavour.
Photo Courtesy: Neuma
Address: 4, Mandlik Road, Apollo Bunder, Colaba, Mumbai 400001
Someplace Else Mumbai
Photo Courtesy: Someplace Else
Kolkata’s favourite pub Someplace Else made its grand Mumbai debut earlier this year. Everything about the restaurant screams creativity and style right from the ambience to the food and of course the cocktail menu. The handcrafted concoctions have quite a mix of flavour and ingredients straying far from the regular boring blends. Signatures like the Pina De Feuge (Jose Cuervo Reposado, green chilli, coriander), Fig Mojito (Bacardi black, lime, fig infused rum, mint,) Expansionist (Bacardi white, Kahlua, cinnamon, chocolate syrup, crème) are all worth a try.