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ZLB23

Bengaluru

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, because it delivers you to this Kyoto-inspired speakeasy in the heart of Bengaluru. In the age of Instagram, it's hard for a bar to remain a secret, especially when it's in an iconic city hotel such as The Leela Palace Bengaluru. Yet, ZLB23, complete with heavy velvet curtains and crystal chandeliers, manages to transport guests straight to the Prohibition era.

On the menu of this vibey, underground bar – where the jazz bands are boisterously fun – is a selection of small bites and well-crafted cocktails. The team, led by bar manager Suchismita Roy and head mixologist Rajib Mukhergee, whips up inspired takes on classic cocktails such as the Kyoto Collins, made with whisky, lapsang souchong and aromatised wine. Other cocktails take a more adventurous route, such as the Shoyu Ramen, which reimagines the iconic noodle dish into a mixture of tequila, sake, shiro miso and shochu.

While cocktails take centre stage, ZLB23 also boasts an impressive list of hard-to-find whiskeys and other spirits from around the world. The food is no afterthought, with the culinary team crafting a tightly edited curation of nibbles that pair delightfully with the sips. The hickory-smoked duck, for instance, is pan-seared to perfection with miso glaze, truffle passion fruit emulsion and crispy pangritata.

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