Five Indian bars have made it to Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025. Is Indian mixology on the rise?

The Hindu

18-07-2025

This year five Indian bars have made it to Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025. Released on July 15 in Macau, the list features New Delhi's Lair among its top-10 bars. But to anyone who has been paying attention to the country's rapidly evolving cocktail culture, this is no surprise. With cutting-edge cocktail programmes, sleek interiors and menus that champion local ingredients, there has been a conscious effort to elevate Indian bars, by balancing between global trends and local flavours. The list (long-list included) has three bars from Bengaluru, two each from Goa and Delhi, and one from Mumbai. We speak to the people behind these bars, to find out their winning formula.
Indian bars that feature on Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025 list
8. Lair, New Delhi
28. Soka, Bengaluru
30. Boilermaker, Goa
31. ZLB23, Bengaluru
37. Bar Spirit Forward, Bengaluru The bars on the long list
62. Sidecar, New Delhi
69. The Bombay Canteen, Mumbai
94. Hideaway, Goa
Technique meets design
Delhi's Lair, which takes the eighth spot on the list, also won the Best Bar in India 2025 award by Asia's 50 Best Bars. Its cocktails are inventive, and its ambience minimalist and edgy. On the official 50 Best website, Lair is described as a sleek hidden retreat. 'The menu, divided into three levels — beginners, intermediate, and superior — guides patrons through a journey of flavour complexity.
Signature cocktails include the Blueberry Cheesecake, infused with blueberry and cream liqueur, and the Mountain Breeze, inspired by the Himalayas, with regional infusions. Don't let the extensive menu scare you, the friendly bartenders go out of their way to listen to preferences and suggest drinks suited to your taste and mood.'
The bar is designed in shades of black and grey, and the design aesthetic is almost Brutalist. Founder and managing director Jairaj Singh Solanki says, 'We went with a unique design, monochrome concept. It feels like you are inside a cave. Lights are dim and we have spotlights on the tables. Colours are on the plates and drinks.' Delhi-based architecture and interior-design studio Renesa is the creative force behind the decor.
Back to basics
Boilermaker in Goa is a new entry on the list, coming in at 30. The bar was founded in late 2024 by Nakul Bhonsle, a craft beer entrepreneur and Pankaj Balachandran, a mixologist. 'India's bartending community is stronger than ever. The quality of our bars continues to rise, and the industry is evolving. A few years ago, I said this was the best time to be part of this space — and this year proves that statement truer than ever. We're not just growing; we're thriving,' Pankaj says.
So what makes this bar in Siolim click? 'Boilermaker is bringing back what a bar should be — unpretentious, laid-back, and full of soul. A true dive bar atmosphere where the priority is simple: good drinks, good times, and great people. At its heart, Boilermaker celebrates the classic shot-and-beer combo — no frills, just fun. But it is more than that. Walking in feels like stepping into a friend's house party, where everyone is welcome and the vibe is effortless,' says Pankaj.
The drinks pay homage to Goa with Biso Manana Karamel, a twist on an Old Fashioned made with overripe Moira bananas and local feni. The food too has Goan touches, with tambdi bhaji sourdough melts and balchão stuffed pickled cucumbers.
The Asia's Best Bar official website says, 'Everything about Boilermaker is carefully considered, but the feeling you get is one of a remarkably relaxed place that's made to hang out with your gang. It's a refreshing change as well as a reminder of that local flavour that defines Goa.'
Modern meets local
ZLB23 in The Leela Palace Bengaluru ranks 31 on the list. The Kyoto-inspired bar has chic, vintage decor and skilled mixologists that shake up Prohibition era cocktails like Tokyo Bees Knees, Japanese Old Fashioned, and Bootlegger. The interiors make you feel like you could be in New York or London. 'ZLB has carved a unique identity by blending theatrical storytelling with innovative cocktails and deeply personalised service. It is not just a bar but an immersive experience,' says Madhav Sehgal, area vice president, (operations south & Head of Sales – South India, The Leela Palace Hotels and Resorts. ZLB23 has invited more than 50 international and domestic bar takeovers in the past few years, making its presence felt on the global stage.
At the same time, the bar is also honouring its roots. Madhav says, 'Our newest 'Native' section is a tribute to the soil we stand upon, drawn from Bengaluru's heartland, and crafted with ingredients that belong to these roots. For example, the drink Fire and Water is made with bhajji chilli, Coco Fizz uses tender coconut water and annanas has local rani pineapples.'
Asia's 50 Best Bars describes ZLB23 as 'A stroll down a winding garden path, a trot through a bustling hotel kitchen and a short ride in a service lift: this brief journey, albeit confounding, is well worth it.'
Tending to the bar
'This is one of the greatest times to be part of the Indian bar community,' says Arijit Bose, founder of Bengaluru-based Bar Spirit Forward, that is listed at number 37. 'A bustling bar with a fun, boisterous crew manning the counters, Bar Spirit Forward is built for cocktail enthusiasts who appreciate craft, clarity, and context in their drinks. With a rich backstory led by industry veterans, including Arijit Bose, formerly of Countertop India and the team behind Goa's Tesouro, ranked No.4 in Asia's 50 Best Bars 2022, it focuses on creating a buzzy atmosphere that is punctuated by technically sound cocktails,' says the award list about this bar in the heart of the city.
Perhaps because Arijit is a veteran in the industry, he knows it is the bartenders who make the bar work. Arijit says, 'If closely examined, bartender-lead-and-owned bars are making a splash, which was always the key to building a good bar. To cite a few examples, Goa's Hideaway, with Sheldon Abranches and Aditya Tribhuvan; Delhi's Sidecar, with Yangdup Lama and Minakshi Singh; Bengaluru's Soka, with Avinash Kapoli and Sombir Choudhary; Lair, with Navjot Singh at its helm — are all run by people who care about the business and craft. This will spur more people to open bartender lead programmes and venues similar to NYC, London, Thailand, Singapore or Tokyo.'
The long list features three Indian bars
Sidecar in New Delhi came in at number 62. Founder Yangdup Lama, who won the Roku Industry Icon award last year, says, 'With the inclusion of many Indian bars, the list puts a lot of attention on India.' What makes Sidecar stand out? 'I would say it is purely the focus — on not just awards, but on what's in the glass,' he says.
The 94th spot went to Hideaway in Goa. Nathaniel da Costa, partner, says, 'It is an incredible feeling to be amongst some of the best bars in Asia and the world. At Hideaway, the main focus is on the customer experience and that is multifold, through our drinks, our food, the music, whether live or through our playlists and the interactions with our staff. As soon as you walk in, you know you're at a bar unlike any other.'
The Bombay Canteen clinched the 69th position. 'This is a landmark moment for India's bar community,' says Yash Bhanage, founder and COO. 'Our bar evolves with a menu that explores regional Indian ingredients and craft spirits, always designed to feel in sync with the overall dining experience. But at the same time, it holds its own, whether you are just here for a cocktail at the bar or sipping one alongside a meal, the drinks are meant to engage, surprise, and delight.'
Capturing the spirit of the city
With three bars from Bengaluru on the list, there must be something the city is getting right. From being called the pub capital and the brewery capital, it may now be the craft cocktail capital of India. It is this spirit that Soka (number 28) captures just right. 'Bengaluru loves to chill. Our drinks try to do the same,' says Avinash Kapoli, the co-founder. 'They are inventive without being pretentious, familiar without being boring. Whether it is a reimagined filter coffee cocktail for our fragrance-paired menu or a highball with local ingredients, we build drinks the way this city lives. curious, complex, a little rebellious, and always laid-back.'
He says their bar programme is technical, but also human. The drinks are a tribute to old Bengaluru: Black Cadillac is named after an old pub on MG Road and Cheese Cherry Pineapple is an ode to a bar snack at Downtown Pub. 'We didn't build SOKA to follow a template. We built it to feel. Just damn good drinks, super snacks, honest hospitality, and a team that shows up every single night with heart.'
With inputs from Prabalika M. Borah and Priyamedha Dutta