It’s safe to crown restaurateur Rohit Khattar hustler of the year. In 2025, there’s either been a new concept or an expansion of his existing spaces—be it Comorin, Fireback and Drift in Mumbai or Hosa in Gurugram. And if that wasn’t enough, he closes the year with a banging new martini and jazz bar called Upstairs.
Mercifully, there’s no booming playlist battling for your attention. Instead, you can sink into plush sofas and armchairs and enjoy post-work drinks with colleagues or a dressed-up night out with your gang. On most nights, jazz vocalist Alyse Pascoe sets the mood, crooning familiar favourites that feel just right for the space.
The name is simple—a literal translation of where the space is located, right above Indian Accent at The Lodhi, New Delhi. To regulars, it will feel like an extension of the much-feted modern Indian restaurant below. The interiors are chic, with the upholstery and wallpaper done by designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee. The bar is, quite naturally, the centrepiece, complete with a cheeky peek-a-boo of the martini trolley.
The martini trolley has long been a scene-stealer in Hollywood, making cameos in classics like Casablanca (1942) and The Seven Year Itch (1955). At Upstairs, the martini skips the predictable bar-to-table journey and arrives tableside instead. The menu offers six variations that riff on the classics. I begin with the dry martini, made with your choice of vodka or gin, layered with dry vermouth and finished with a seasonal citrus twist. It’s a crisp and confident opening act for what follows.
Next is the Desi Dirty Martini, which tastes uncannily like biting into an aloo paratha with a squeeze of nimbu achaar—but somehow not in a bad way. This unhinged creation by Varun Sharma, head of bars at EHV International, blends nimbu-infused vermouth with nimbu achaar brine, anchored by gin. The garnish is olives stuffed with mashed potato. It shouldn’t work but it absolutely does.
