A treat for connoisseurs of cocktails

There are many watering holes in the city, however, very few places serve curated and designer cocktails. Zephyr, the newly launched gastro-lounge, with its wide range of delicious concoctions is surely a treat for connoisseurs of cocktails. The extensive cocktail menu curated by Viju Raj, a mixologist from New Delhi does have a few exotic and a few eclectic formulae, while the food menu crafted by Harman Singh makes for a good pairing to the mixes.

The atmosphere of the lounge is like a soft gentle breeze. The theme of multiple rooms and open design takes the experience a notch up. The modular bar is lively and colourful. Viju Raj known for creating out-of-box cocktails has avoided the use of sugary syrups for cocktails and he uses fresh and natural ingredients to give a touch of sweetness to his drinks. All the syrups at Zephyr are prepared in-house by using natural ingredients. The mixologist combines techniques of cold-pressed fruits and vegetables; herbs and spices infused with gin, amongst others to craft signature cocktails. The infusions and syrups are a result of painstaking process and add the edge to the drinks. 

Start your evening at Zephyr with Bay Merchant made with tangy kokum extract, star anise, ginger and Bombay Sapphire Gin. The ruby-red drink has a tangy taste on the palate and has a fresh aroma of star anise and ginger.

Follow it up with smoky Bourbon Botanical Breakfast; this delicious drink has caramel-vanilla bourbon base (Jim Beam) with homemade orange marmalade. The cocktail is infused with cinnamon, saffron, smoked pinewood chips and frozen orange slice.

The other attractions at the lounge are Smooth Talker, Red Velvet and Two to Tango, as interesting as their titles.

The appetizer menu by Harman makes the cocktail ride a memorable one. Try Wasabi Prawns; the tempura fried crispy prawns are coated with wasabi mayo and are sprinkled with roasted sesame seeds. The dish is served with hot wasabi mayo and the flavours just burst in your mouth. Another star in the menu is Karwari Prawns. It is a coastal mixture of herbs and spices and is stir-fried with mustard grilled prawns.

The must try in this menu is also the simple sounding Chicken Pakora, Assorted Dips, Bruschetta assortment, Herbed grilled veg with hummus among others.

With a new concept but familiar flavours, Zephyr will surely be a favourite destination for chilling out over good food and drink. 

Navin Pivhal