Exclusive! This new resto-pub in Mumbai serves Indian food with cocktails

Villa 69 bows out to make way for a new resto-pub that serves Indian khaana with some mean cocktails

Assam's Bamboo Smoked Mutton

A sign reading, 'We ended up at Life', is how we are greeted as we walk into the space where Villa 69 in Juhu once stood. Succumbing to the ever-changing gastronomic scene of the city, the cafe-lounge has paved way for a new resto-pub, A Bar Called Life (ABCL), which opens to public this Saturday.

Pulled Rann Slider

The latest offering by the owners of Bastian and One Street Over, ABCL is done up in wood with brown tufted sofas and dull grey walls. Mini stages next to some of the tables are meant to get up and dance on. A play of LED lights, in shapes of sticks and hexagons, on the ceiling, will set the party mood after 11 pm when the resto-pub converts into a high-energy bar. To add to the vibe, staffers break into an anthem dance, while a mixologist juggles with fired bottles, following a siren. The LED-lit DJ console looks like a sci-fi transformer car. And the wallpaper lining the passage that leads to the washroom and outdoor area has 'life' written all over. The women's bathroom is pink, and the men's, blue. Tacky.

Sarso da Saag with Kuddu

Thankfully, the outdoor area matures again, with cabanas, high and regular tables done up in brown. We begin with Vada Pav (Rs 400), a whisky-based drink infused with curry leaves and tomato juice, served in a glass rimmed with dry garlic chutney. Chef Amninder Sandhu, after a five-year stint at Taj Land's End and running Tari Di Hatti for eight years, creates magic with wholesome Indian khaana, plated in a modern way.

Jack Rose

Popping Tarbooza (Rs 225), an amuse bouche of watermelon, crushed peanuts, feta and microgreens, garnished with chaat masala and popping candy, sets the tone for the meal. Next comes Bhoot Wings (Rs 325), with a fiery coating on tender, chargrilled meat. The Pulled Rann Slider (Rs 350) with red onion and mint chutney will quell those post-party hunger pangs. We savour the tamarind-laden, hearty Amritsari Choley Kulche (Rs 375) with lassi and baby jamuns.

The outdoor section has cabanas. Pics/Shadab Khan

The Sarso da Saag with Kuddu (Rs 375), a sugary roti ball usually served to kids, is a rich dish, but aces its vegetal notes and pungent mustard punch. Drawing from her experience of running a restaurant in Assam, Sandhu creates Assam's Bamboo Smoked Mutton (Rs 450) with jasmine rice that has a sweet, woody tomato gravy and succulent mutton.

A mixologist juggles bottles

We sip on Pani Puri (Rs 250) — guava and orange juices infused with vodka. The boondi and chaat try hard to make it work, but fail. The bittersweet rendition called Jack Rose, a Prohibition era drink of absinthe, vodka, pomegranate juice, is a welcome change. Drink Life Vishesh (Rs 350) allows you to get your hands dirty. With help from a bartender, we create an absinthe and gin cocktail with orange juice, garnished with strawberries. A glance at the menu reveals that all beverage prices rise by Rs 100 after 11 pm. The hike is to justify the switch, when the space turns into a lounge bar, we're told. How very odd, this.

We end our meal with Cheese Cherry Pineapple (Rs 350) that comes with a pineapple sorbet, cherry soil and blue cheese. And the finale is Kali Gajar ka Halwa (Rs 350). It's a delicious life, after all.

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