Sip, spin, repeat at this new Delhi bar for music lovers 

Every time an invite calls something “Delhi’s new hidden bar”, I instinctively lower my expectations. In a city obsessed with speakeasies, “hidden” usually translates to dim lights, a password, and a Google Maps pin that leads to anything but a secret location.

So, when I was asked to look for a black cat sign in Vasant Vihar’s D-Block market (home to PCO, the city’s OG speakeasy), I assumed it was another breadcrumb trail leading to a predictable reveal. Still, I played along, wandering through the market, scanning storefronts until I spotted a Murakami-esque black cat logo perched beside a lift.

A guard directed me to the third floor, and I walked through a door straight into what felt like a darkroom. The first thing that caught my attention was a wall that read ‘Off the Wall’ framed by vinyl records featuring The Police, Oasis, and the likes. A tiled door beyond that led to Together—a 28-seater created by Vansh Pahuja (of Sober and Somewhere Nowhere fame) with musician and writer Dhruv Kapoor.

Designed by Manav Dangg of Studio Dangg, the space is dominated by warm wood, textured mirrors, and sound-absorbing cobbled walls. It’s cosy with slightly low seating but not the kind that makes you scramble up in an inelegant mess when you’re trying to get back on your feet. 

‘Jailhouse Rock’ was playing when I entered, and it instantly set the tone. In a corner, records were being swapped with precision. Like Bengaluru’s Middle Room, Mumbai’s The Listening Room and most recently Idoru, Together draws inspiration from Japan’s listening rooms—spaces centred around carefully curated record libraries. For now, the bar has a limited 50 records that they play in rotation, but they hope to grow gradually through collaborations with record companies and contributions from friends.

And while music is central to Together, there’s more that makes you stay. The menu is designed like a record. The bar programme, designed by Ravi Negi, a former Hoots and Perch hand, features 10 signature cocktails under Side A. Flip it over, and you have a list of low-ABV and non-alcoholic options on Side B.

That every cocktail on this vinyl-shaped menu is titled as a track number comes as no surprise. I start with the zesty Track 1, a tequila-based number with yuzu, lime, basil, jalapeno, honey-ginger, and a whisper of coconut milk. Japanese touches like miso-butter washed Scotch and wasabi-washed white rum pique my interest in Track 3 and 4 respectively. The vodka cocktail is a tad too sweet, but Track 10, a picante-style cocktail with perfectly balanced notes of peach, thyme, and lavender, offers a good punch.

Fans of classics can skip straight to the ‘Hook’ section where Old Fashioned, Dirty Martini, Manhattan, and Monkey Gland are among their offerings. And since no Japan-inspired bar would be complete without sake, the menu features labels such as Hakushika Yamadanishiki Honjozo, Hakushika Kaon sake, and Masumi Junmai Ginjo Kuro to knock down.

The food menu, titled Interlude, and crafted by Vidushi Sharma of our much-missed and now-shuttered Mensho Tokyo, focuses on bar nosh that is perfectly pitched for the drinks. The Bangkok Guacamole arrived first—creamy, tangy, with a pile of wonton crisps on the side. In the summer months, cold-plate options like gomae salad, poached chicken in chili oil, and tuna tataki are likely to become bestsellers. 

Equally addictive are the pillowy prawn dumplings. The crunchy vegetable tempura—enoki mushroom, eggplant, sweet potato, and spinach—arrived with a delicate dusting of matcha salt. On the side was a dynamite sauce that should come with a warning label!

No one goes to a bar for desserts, so Pahuja has consciously omitted this from his menu. For a substantial bite, the katsu chicken sando and tacos wrapped in wonton shells, filled with pork and crunchy red cabbage slaw, are great options for those with big appetites. Both hit the sweet spot between comfort food and clever twists, perfect for nibbling while the records kept spinning.

Cost for two: ₹3,500 + taxes

Timings: 5 pm to 1 am (Tuesdays closed)

Address: Third floor, D12, off Street D7, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi 

Reservations: Call +91 92179 14124