Everyone’s trying to get a table at Bar Doubble

If you are mildly clued into the food scene in Bengaluru, it’s likely you have heard whispers about the long-awaited opening of Bar Doubble. The first whiff came back in September: a simple post announcing that a chef and a mixologist are opening a cocktail bar together. Ordinary enough. Only this time, the two partners come with an intense fan following. Kavan Kuttappa is the founder of the forever-sold-out ramen bar Naru, which made fastest-finger-first bookings a norm in the city. Meanwhile, Vedant Mehra has won numerous Best Bartender awards over the last decade, swimming from Olive Bar & Kitchen to companies like Paul John Whisky and Greater Than Gin. 

Earlier this month, the duo’s buzzy bar finally kicked its doors open, and we had to find a way there. Flanked by a giant red KFC on the left, the Bar Doubble board twinkles over a glass door inviting you in without giving much away. Walking in, this confusion quadruples as a dimly lit black staircase guides you further into the unknown, until a wooden door opens into a hideout bar. “This is not a speakeasy but it’s definitely a discovery bar,” Kuttappa tells me, adding that in a previous life the joint was the karaoke room of a Japanese restaurant. “In Bengaluru we have so many strongly themed spaces now. We wanted to open a chill neighbourhood bar where people can come hang out…you know, like a third space.” 

This intimacy comes through instantly. As we take our seats by the bar, we are handed shots of strawberry daiquiri as a glad-to-have-you-here starter. The bartender, wearing a striking red headband, hands us a menu but we don’t need to flip through; she has the perfect recommendations cued up. For my spice-leaning tastebuds she suggests the Coolante, a mix of tequila and agave soaked in fermented chilli, which is a welcome break from the jalapeño-brine-rich savoury cocktails that dominate the scene currently. For my Old Fashioned-obsessed brother, she brings out the Double Cherry, a sour maraschino and whisky concoction served with a white chocolate crisp. 

The chakna at Bar Doubble is a good introduction to the bar: the spiced Honey Congress is an upscale iteration of the must-have peanuts you find at any Bengaluru dive bar. The Cauli Crema, a truffle-rich dipping sauce served with chia seed khakra, is delicious enough to wipe the plate clean. Yet the real scene stealer is the hamachi, slices of yellowtail floating in coconut dressing and an acidic red Fresno that swirls on your tongue long after it’s over.

Through the space you will find subtle hints of the how the bar is crafted after careful observation. Somehow even in its matchbox-sized space, the duo have managed to squeeze in an airy upper floor that homes a smoking room. A key architectural highlight at this 40-seater is their central bar—no matter where you sit, you can always catch a glimpse of the shake and whistle of the cheery mixologist. The moody vintage lamps that line the tables and the extensive mirror that stretches along the back wall carry a scribbled order from Iyengar Bakery—an old-school city classic. Other Bengaluru elements include the red oxide flooring that resembles traditional south Indian courtyards, while the bar’s name itself borrows its drawl from the city’s distinct accent, spelling Doubble with two b’s for the peculiar middle-of-the-world emphasis. “Actually, naming everything was a lot of fun,” Mehra says. “We have a drink called ‘Yaake?’ inspired by the old Upendra ad ‘Yella ok; cool drink yaake?’. Another cocktail, called Lalbagh, which has already become a crowd favourite, feels like a walk in the garden. Kavan named it that because it reminds him of the old Kannada song ‘Hoove Hoove’ [translates to ‘flowers’].” 

As warm and referential as the bar is, it is undoubtedly gutsy to throw in a new cocktail joint in a city that is full to the brim with such watering holes. “Every south Bangalore person who needs a well-crafted cocktail has to cross this Double Road to get to CBD. They have a lot of breweries, but we fill the void for a cute neighbourhood bar,” explains Kuttappa, highlighting the advantage of the location. Mehra, on the other hand, believes the rare success lies in their collaboration. “We don’t have any businessman or investment behind this venture; it’s just a chef and a bartender doing everything. I made your drink, he sliced your hamachi. The experience is literally handcrafted.” 

A few hours at Bar Doubble and I have to agree with Mehra. If the hidden cocktail bar had a trademark soundtrack, it wouldn’t be the playlist blaring through but the fits of laughter and giggles that ring across the space every time the co-founders are at a table. Let me explain: When I ask Kuttappa what his go-to order is he says, “The joke in the team is, if we served 70 cocktails last week, I had 35 and all of them were the Plum-It.” Before we know it, Mehra is serving the plum-infused whisky as a taster like a friend who insists that you “absolutely have to try”. And yes, even non-whisky drinkers should give this a try.

After sipping on more cocktails than we should have, we end the evening with the perfect post-drink layers from their menu: Otti and pandi curry—hearty pork belly wrapped in rice roti—and a serving of udon marinated in pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, and parmesan. If you’ve gotten this far in the story, I’ll bless you with one essential morsel of information. Sure, Instagram may say rez for Bar Doubble opens every Monday evening and those tables may fly by faster than you can make up your mind. But—and are you ready?—Kuttappa let us in on a little secret: they welcome walk-ins. After the Hunger Games that is Naru reservations, he plans to block the upper floor of the new bar for serendipity. You’re welcome. 

Address: 90, KH Road, Shantinagar, Bengaluru 

Price: ₹3,500 for two

Timings: 5 pm onwards, Tuesday to Sunday 

Reservations: Call +91 8073110428