Sitting under a skylit orangerie wasn’t on my bingo cards for 2025 food experiences, yet here I was, eating in a light-filled, citrus-scented space—not once, but twice—first at Nilaya Anthology in Mumbai and now at Citrus Garden Project, a botanical-inspired bar that opened at the Jehan Numa Retreat in Bhopal.
Located on the outskirts of the city, right next to the Van Vihar National Park, the boutique resort is nestled in 12.5 acres of verdant surroundings. Designed as a nature-inspired hideaway, it has that magical combination of contemporary comforts and rustic charm. Each of its massive 28 rooms comes with a four-poster bed, a private deck, a bathtub, and an outdoor shower. The close-to-nature theme extends to all its dining areas as well, whether it’s the Green House Bistro, a delightful greenhouse cafe next to the organic garden; The Coriander Leaf with indoor-outdoor seating and buffet fare; or Under The Jamun Tree, an al fresco barbecue restaurant under—you guessed it—a jamun tree.
Naturally, sitting at Citrus Garden Project feels like you’re in a garden of citrus trees.
The bar’s design follows Jehan Numa Retreat’s sustainable architecture that Goa-based architect Dean D’Cruz put in place. It’s built with natural materials, so you have a stone floor, cane awnings, and wood and rattan furniture all around. Strategically placed windows and an open-to-sky central section bring the outside in; the citrus grove right in the centre of the seating area only adds to the feeling of being in a wild garden. But the garden is not just around you—it is also in your drink.
I park myself at the bar to watch mixologist Khim Singh in action as he preps for my first drink. Freshly plucked hibiscus flowers sit on the sil-batta (grinding stone) along with a couple of dried red chillies. Singh sprinkles some salt and squeezes lemon juice before grinding the ingredients into a bright-red chutney. It goes into the cocktail shaker with ice, a dash of mint syrup and a large pour of mahua liquor, a spirit that is distilled from fermented mahua flowers that are native to Madhya Pradesh (and other parts of central India). Soon he’s shaking it up, straining it out, and topping it up with some mint foam. Refreshing, fragrant with a spicy kick, it is the perfect start to my evening.
Like the Mahua Blossom, most of the bar’s signature cocktails—18 in total—are made using foraged ingredients from the retreat’s garden as well as local produce. To create the cocktail programme, Citrus Garden Project brought on board beverage consultant Fay Barretto, who has also designed the bar menus at Mumbai bars like Gigi and Scarlett House and, most recently, Delhi’s Pendulo.
