Sipping in the Moonlight

The lounge area of Moonshine.

The speakeasy continues to trend in the Capital, with the recent debut of Moonshine Bar and Cafe in Hauz Khas Village. Moonshine occupies a gargantuan space, encompassing two seating areas connected through a dimly- lit passage and a large moon-drenched terrace, unless it’s amavas ki raat of course. While the outer space has a small stage area and belts out rock and live performances, the connecting door to the passage leads to a space throbbing with EDM tracks and culminating in the aforementioned terrace.

The interiors are a pastiche of brickwork splattered with Americana memorabilia and graffiti, with deep couches and low wooden tables lining the space, and long bar counters dominating one side of the wall. When we visit, the full menu is yet to be introduced and we order off the trial menu, which potters around easy-to-eat bar food, from kebabs to nachos to mini-sandwiches. We choose the non-vegetarian Duo of Sliders and a Duo of Vegetarian Bruschetta. The prices are fairly reasonable with an average price of Rs 450 for a main course. The bruschetta come bedecked with cherry tomato and garlic confit and Parmesan on one side, or bread if you prefer, and mushroom fricassee with sour cream and chili on the other and go down smoothly.

The sliders are of chicken and lamb (tenderloin being unavailable at the time) and are filling, though the bread to meat ratio needs to be corrected, as the generosity of the buns overpowers the protein. The management also sends over a round of pizzette on the house, for food trials. The mini-pizza are light crisp and delicious, both the margherita and the pepperoni and rocket leaf variants being equally palatable.

Since Moonshine is speakeasy-themed, cocktails dominate the bar menu divided into Martinis, Specials and Classics with an extensive spirits and shooters list (including an extremely solid whisky and whiskey selection) making up the rest. We order a Dirty Moontini from the specials section and a Capriojka from the regular, soulfully munching on our pizzette as we wait. The Moontini (the ‘dirty’ in a martini coming from the addition of olive brine and an olive garnish to the drink) is equal parts filthy and boozy, bracing enough for a sailor, while the watermelon capriojka is relatively demurring but equally serious about its alcohol, both drinks formidable social lubricants. Perhaps that’s why they call it a speakeasy.