Gimlet Garden and AER share the same roof, but they are like chalk and cheese. AER is loud, Gimlet Garden is where conversations flow as smoothly as wine.
AER has a retractable roof, while the moon-lit sky serves as an apt canopy for Gimlet Garden.
AER is where you dance the night away, to hip-swaying music played by the DJ, Gimlet Garden is where you sit back, relax, reset, and enjoy a drink by the bar. This place serves more than cocktails; it serves connections. It's elevated mixology, that goes beyond the familiar. It is inspired by ports and coastal traditions from around the world.
Gimlet Garden has been designed to make you feel like you are in a garden, but on the 34th floor |
At Gimlet Garden, the ambience is not drowned by the loud decibels and here your glass never runs dry. Each drink is meant to tell a story in a language of its own.
The bar menu is beautiful, and every page resembles an artwork, with a drawing of the drink, along with the ingredients and technique.
Take, for example, the Kalikari that draws inspiration from the Caribbean Islands. The tamarind makes it tangy, green apple brings in the acidity, and the rum ensures that it is full of island rhythm.
Trufa Nigra from Spain is inspired by a hidden book of lost recipes. Exotic, floral and nutty, it's got truffle, ripe plum, jasmine, neem Cointreau and lemon, among other things.
(left) The Siren's Cove and (right) The Waiting Shore with a pink barfi |
Each drink at the Gimlet Garden has an Indianness, and you'll be pleasantly surprised to find ingredients from desi kitchens in your cocktails. You'll also find unusual combinations like truffle and basil, tamarind and green apple, curry leaves and tabasco, and hibiscus and cacao.
The Waiting Shore from Malvan has a barfi floating on top. Be prepared to let your taste buds be taken for a roller coaster ride with its rich, complex, savory notes. In the lead role is Onegin vodka, but the sidekicks are pretty noteworthy — coconut, kokum, curry leaves and tabasco. Sweet, tart, tangy, spicy, the medley of flavours in this drink is what's needed to level up your cocktail game.
The Siren's Cove has got a tropical twist with coconuts and berries, and the malty black tea gives it the velvety smoothness. The exotic drink also features coconut tequila, raspberry/mulberry liqueur and sloe gin liqueur.
(left) Coral Blaze is a modern ode to Vieux Carre and (right) Piscador features 20+ ingredients |
A secret spice mix is what makes the aromatic Coral Blaze so special. The mezcal and tequila cocktail's got agave, hibiscus and cacao, and with each sip you will experience floral, spicy and sweet notes. It's perfect for sipping slow, and the vibes of Gimlet Garden, with its mood lighting, lend the perfect ambience for this drink.
A crowd favourite, the Piscador features the maximum number of ingredients — 21 to be precise. It hopes to remind patrons of Peru's ancient Moche and Nazca civilisation. It's got classics like gin, Cointreau but also features passion fruit, tomato, basil, aloe vera, vanilla, kaffir lime leaves, black and white sesame, pandan, lemon and ginger.
The indulgent Barque & Butter ties creamy coconut with buttery warmth. The bubbly drink has brown butter, grapefruit champagne, coconut, tequila and creyente mezcal.
(clockwise) Bhoot Jolokhia Chicken, The Bombay Guac and Bombay Beachside Pav Bhaji Flatbread |
If the pours aren't enough to create a memorable night, the small plates definitely will. The Bombay Guac is the celebration of the city on a plate with millet nachos, street-style thecha, spiced avocado and chilli-garlic grits. Bhoot Jolokhia Chicken will get your tastebuds on fire with its super spicy sauce.
The menu is aimed at taking patrons through a culinary journey across the world, while also giving them an introduction to Mumbai. "The food and drinks are what makes this place unique to Mumbai," says Chef Aditya Kulkarni. When you drink, one craves for comfort food. Hence their dishes are not very complicated and will remind you of homely food. "We have very consciously added healthy dishes. It is great to indulge in calorie heavy food once in a while, but the guest who stay at our hotels can't have unhealthy meals throughout their stay."
The Delhi Butter Chicken Flatbread gives you the experience of eating a butter chicken with naan. What makes the Bombay Beachside Pav Bhaji Flatbread so unique is that the base is actually pav and Amul cheese has been used as a garnish. "Instead of olive oil, we have drizzled it with melted, salted butter. It is all the things you'd find in an actual pav bhaji, but it is layered differently," explains Chef Aditya. "It is also served with a slice of lemon instead of oregano and chilli flakes."
Unlike other bars, Gimlet Garden has desserts but has spiked them — it shares the same food and dessert menu with AER. So, when you say the last one is for the road, here you are referring to a dessert. The Tiramisu comes minus the dusting of cocoa power. Instead, there is a dome of chocolate. The gulab jamun served with rabdi is bruleed. The taste of caramel and the smokiness complement the whiskey added to the rabdi.
Chef Aditya's favourite is the Trip to the Movies, which has a Bombay connect and features vanilla ice cream, brady caramel sauce, and caramelised popcorn. It feels like having a vanilla shake with popcorn during a movie. "You always crave sweet after a drink hence we have added desserts," says Chef Aditya. "When you have a sweet dish or a mithai, psychologically your mind says the meal is done. Instead of having a drink, have a spiked dessert."
Address: Gimlet Garden, 34th Floor, Four Seasons Hotel, Dr Elijah Moses Rd, Gandhi Nagar, Worli, Mumbai
Cost for two: ₹10,000 (approx. with alcohol)
