‘Not just the drinks, it’s the overall experience’: Yash Bhanage of The Bombay Canteen on making it to Asia’s 50 Best Bars list
The Asia’s 50 Best Bars list released on Tuesday saw The Bombay Canteen at rank #35, a great jump from rank #76 in 2022.
5 min read
Yash Bhanage is the founder of The Bombay Canteen which made it to Asia’s 50 Best Bars list. Here’s an interesting fact: From tourists to international chefs visiting Mumbai for a pop-up or event, the one name to have made it to everyone’s list of restaurants to check out in the city has featured one constant: The Bombay Canteen. Spread across 4,000 sq ft in Mumbai’s Lower Parel, the food at The Bombay Canteen highlights the diverse culinary offerings from across the country, elevated to offer a gourmet experience — imagine Jigarthanda Tres Leches, a reminder of Chennai summers or Amiri Khaman, a savoury flavourful chat made from Gujarat’s dhokla.
While their food has been spoken about a lot, their bar — which recently saw them bringing out their fifth Canteen Cocktail book — too, promises signature cocktails. For instance, The Waiting List, which borrows inspiration from the long queues seen at Udupi-style restaurants, is a highball-style concoction with coconut fat-washed tequila, curry leaf soda and a curry leaf-salt rim. Another tequila-based cocktail called Rear Mirror, inspired by Mumbai’s iconic Kali-Peeli (cabs), uses black garlic and honey to get the colours. Quirky? Check. Innovative? Again, check.
Spread across 4,000 sq ft in Mumbai’s Lower Parel, the food at The Bombay Canteen highlights the diverse culinary offerings from across the country, elevated perfectly to offer a gourmet experience. (Photo: Special Arrangement)
Each cocktail menu draws heavily from the city — from its Art Deco buildings to the people frequenting Marine Drive to everyday local speak. It also uses local and seasonal ingredients to make the drinks. All of these have led them to rank #35 on the prestigious list Asia’s 50 Best Bars, which was announced on Tuesday in Hong Kong. In 2022, it was at spot #76.
In this interview, founder and COO, Yash Bhanage speaks on what makes The Book Canteen such a unique experience. Excerpts:
Congratulations! What does this win mean to you and The Bombay Canteen?
It is not only a recognition of our effort in the last year to curate a world-class bar menu, but also a tremendous validation of the creativity and innovation to push the bar program at The Bombay Canteen since its inception in 2015. With our ‘Bombay-inspired’ bar menus, and eclectic cocktail offering, we have led the way for the renaissance of cocktails in the city.
(Left) The Waiting List is a highball-style concoction with coconut fat-washed tequila, curry leaf soda and a curry leaf salt rim; Spicy gimlet. (Photos: Special Arrangement)
The Bombay Canteen’s food has always had a strong reputation. When did you decide to share the spotlight with cocktails?
Cocktails, cuisine and unmatched hospitality have been the hallmark of The Bombay Canteen. When it comes to our bar, we serve a selection of reimagined classic cocktails with firm Indian roots. Inspired by our culinary ethos, local and seasonal ingredients are used in infusions, bitters, shrubs and tonics to create spectacular signature cocktails.
Our cocktail program pays tribute to the untold stories of Mumbai and each edition of the bar menu takes on a unique design to bring that story to life. Over the last few years, we have launched five Canteen Cocktail menus. From a playful pop-up art book paying tribute to the Art Deco architecture of the city to a vibrant calendar inspired by the slang and colour we hear and see as we walk the streets of Mumbai; a historical guidebook that takes you on a trip down memory lane to the golden age of the cinematic talkies and people we frequently meet on Marine Drive. Our fifth and latest menu called Make Mine A Bombay features cocktails that capture the moods and essence of the city, inviting guests to experience Bombay through liquor-tinted glasses.
How would you describe the current bar scene in India, particularly in Mumbai?
The bar scene is currently great. There’s amazing camaraderie in the F&B fraternity, and everyone is pushing each other to do better. There’s also great mentorship right now. The culture of bar pop-ups and takeovers is incredible. We’ve hosted a bunch of recent takeovers with Sidecar from Delhi doing a takeover at The Bombay Canteen, The Bombay Canteen doing a bar takeover at Cobbler & Crew in Pune, or Hideaway and Elephant & Co. from Goa doing a takeover at O Pedro. Such collaborations allow everyone to learn from one another. All-in-all, it’s a great space to be in, everyone is raising the bar with new ideas and creativity.
What does it take to make it to Asia’s 50 Best Bars? Is there a list of things that the jury looks at?
In my opinion, it’s not just about the drinks a bar offers, but the overall experience the bar is trying to create. From service excellence to the ambience and atmosphere where unique designs, decor, and a distinct character tend to stand out. Another important factor is innovation. Bars that introduce novel concepts and creative themes, and push the boundaries of mixology are likely to catch the attention. Consistency also plays a very important role.
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