Sip on artisanal cocktails and dine on gourmet Italian and Mediterranean fare at The Daily Bar & Kitchen in Bandra, Mumbai, a restaurant whose aesthete is part grunge and part experimental art.
The name plate outside proudly states that the restaurant was established in 2013, in a font that’s reminiscent of the 19th century. If that’s a strategy to make folks think it’s one of the oldies, it could work.
Inside, there are two parts to the restaurant. The lower level is smaller and practically empty during the day – the real action is at the upper level, which houses the bar and sports a ceiling strung neatly with various framed newspaper clippings of interesting articles over the years. This could be great for a first date where you’re hunting around for things to talk about. For instance, did you know that Nicki Minaj has been funding an Indian village since several years, contributing to its computer centre, tailoring institute, reading programme and two water wells? We bet your date didn’t.
Black dominates the colour scheme and the music and lighting nudge you to categorise this place as a pub. But the menu is far more extensive that what a pub would have and now they even have lunch specials, which is what we were there to experience.
It was a Saturday afternoon and the restaurant was nearly empty when we walked in. But this could also be because there was a crew shooting a film at the lower level. Our couch-table was super comfy and splashed with patches of inky black. We were presented with four different menus – a regular food menu, the lunch special menu, drinks menu and wine list. We sampled the first three – and we were mostly delighted by everything that made it to the table.
Drinks
Every cocktail that came recommended was unarguably awesome. From the ones we ordered ourselves, a few were all right. The rest paled in comparison to the more exemplary ones. So our advice is to go with the server’s suggestions based on your spirit of choice.
We wanted to start with whisky-based cocktails from their signature list. The server was keen that we try Elysium, but we also ordered a Majestic Mame. The two looked almost identical when they arrived, except for the fact that the Elysium was deep gold in colour while the Majestic Mame resembled diluted watermelon juice. We weren’t entirely sure about the Elysium because it contained curry leaves but one sip and we knew this was one of the best whisky-based cocktails we’d ever tasted. The drink also contained dates, apple juice and rosso. Majestic Mame couldn’t quite compete with the genius of Elysium but it was pleasant enough, with the infusion of apricot brandy, basil and cranberry tea.
Mai Tai, from the ‘Tiki cocktails’ section came in a dramatic mug carved with an angry pirate’s face. The tall concoction of white rum, dark rum, orgeat (a non-alcoholic syrup), pineapple and orange juices was good enough for two and the orgeat lent a wonderful floral, nutty flavour to the rum. The Contender was the other white spirit-based cocktail we tried and it was served in a cosmopolitan glass. The fruity cocktail composed of vodka, poire, pear, mint, nutmeg is ideal for those who prefer lighter drinks.
When we were done with our meal, we spotted the ‘molecular cocktails’ section on the drinks menu. Our curiosity was piqued. The server’s recommendation was Gypsy Queen but we also went with a Wild Card because it included bourbon in lieu of whisky. The molecular cocktails are priced a notch higher than the signature ones but the only difference is they are poured before you, with light fumes of dry ice making their way into the air. In terms of taste, we feel the signature cocktails are superior. The Gypsy Queen was really good, with the sweet and spicy notes of clove, cinnamon, peach and apple wood smoke. The Wild Card was just all right and lacked character even with the inclusion of triple sec, martini dry, cranberry-infused tea and hickory wood smoke.
Food
We don’t have a single criticism to make about the food at The Daily Bar & Kitchen. Be it the aesthetically served salads and starters or the nachos piled so generously with the good stuff, everything here is beyond perfect. Our main course was so scrumptious that we finished it despite the obvious lack of space in our cocktail-filled tummies. We wish we could’ve tried the desserts as well but it’s always good to leave something for next time.
From the lunch specials menu, we went for the layered halloumi cheese, watermelon and fig salad. Topped with chopped fruits and mango salsa, the salad was juicy, sweet and refreshing. The cheese and fig provided a satisfying fullness to the salad and the lettuce and radish made every bite a brilliant burst of flavours and textures in our mouths.
From the regular food menu, we opted for the chef-recommended patatas bravas and loaded nachos. The nachos came with an interesting twist – beer infused cheese sauce. The kidney beans, mayo, tomato and jalapenos were nothing short of perfect. We thoroughly enjoyed the nachos thanks to the lavish serving of mayo and cheese sauce.
Ditch the French fries and gorge on their succulent potato pockets as we did, filled with ratatouille vegetables, mascarpone and garlic aioli sauce. At six pieces per serving, this is ample for two people and the beetroot slathered at the bottom is a great accompaniment. The gooey vegetable and mayo topping ensured that every bite was full of cheesy goodness.
For mains, we decided on the oven roasted tomato and olive stuffed ravioli. To be honest, the dish wasn’t the most visually appealing when it came to the table. But when we began to tuck into the house-made ravioli, the wonderful stuffing of oven roasted tomato, olives and pine nuts cooked in a chive butter sauce began to work its magic on us. The warm and flavourful tomato sauce topped with pine nuts and goat cheese made us positively rapturous.
In a nutshell, even if you ordered from the menu purely at random, you’d probably be delighted with every gourmet morsel that entered your mouth.
Our rating: 5/5
Cost for two: Rs 3000 (with drinks)
Where: Linking Road, Bandra West, Mumbai
Disclaimer: We were guests of The Daily.
What an amazing feature on Daily Bandra where food and drinks are lent an individual and defining charm. I am a fan of whisky and I bet this place is one that I should visit next time I come to India. A post that hooks the readers and foodies:)
Thanks so much – you certainly should 🙂