Refuge

‘Delhi, fuck your picantes’ is what Aditya Mohan has just said to me after smoking three cigarettes in a row on the terrace of his bar. We’re both several drinks down. The smoke he’s blown away is still lingering in the air. I break into giggles. I mean, he’s right. Every bar in the city’s doing a riff on the picante. Cleverly disguised behind a fancy name, sure, but a picante all the same. 

Well. Every bar except Aditya’s. 

Truth be told, I came into Refuge highly skeptical. It’s a big bad world of themed bar menus out there. Nobody minds a bit of fun, but someone’s got to draw the line when what could’ve been a one-page menu morphs into a hardbound affair describing the history (and in some cases, geography) behind cocktails that are, unfortunately, not half as impressive as the literature they come with. 

Is Refuge any different? There’s an elaborately themed bar menu here too, it’s true. This one has my eyebrows raised, though: modeled on major mass migrations in history, and that’s putting it politely. One page bears drinks inspired by the Atlantic slave trade. Another by Partition. And yet another by the European colonisation of the Americas. It’s jarring any way you look at it, whether you’re woke or not. I, incidentally, am woke. And I’m a little horrified. 

Let’s face it, though. No amount of horror is going to put me off my drinks and dinner, and admittedly, the space itself, perched high above the bustle of Greater Kailash II market, is rather lovely. The 43-foot bar that commands the room is overshadowed only by one of the largest collections of booze in the city, with about 250 bottles on display, including a 100-year-old bottle of cognac. There’s some interesting metalwork going on in a corner and one of the paintings, of Heath Ledger’s Joker, has been painted by Aditya himself. A man of all trades, it seems, and master of many: a restaurateur, interior designer and chef, Aditya’s a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu in London, with experience working alongside Michelin-level chefs in the UK. 

Before we get down to ordering, I ask Aditya what bold thought was behind the provocative menu. He’s mildly taken aback. It was never about referencing something as heavy as that, he says. 

‘The drinks are definitely not themed on the trauma of refugee movements,’ he says, mildly aghast. ‘For me, the word refugee really speaks to the reality of Delhi. Most people here have come from someplace else and this city wouldn’t be this city without what they’ve brought with them. The menu’s just building on the idea of how large-scale movement of people across places and cultures ultimately shapes what ends up on your plate or in your glass.’ 

And the bar is, of course, intended as a refuge. And titled thus. I’m surprised by how sincere it sounds. But the proof will ultimately always be in the pudding, and god, once the pudding has been devoured, I’m forced to admit that Aditya’s managed to wipe my entire slate of gripes clean. That’s just how bloody good Refuge is. The menu may be outrageous, but when the drinks arrive, I’m able to chalk it down to a wild burst of creativity over a need to scandalise.

The drinks 

As we make our way down the drinks menu, cautiously and then raucously, one thing, at least, is pretty clear: there has been tremendous care and effort expended into each one of these items. Aditya’s got a story behind every one of these drinks – a real story that lasts at least ten minutes each time. Not a glib PR dump either. 

The reason is his own expertise, of course, and his insistence on making all syrups in-house, but also the fact that the bar turns into a mad lab after hours, with all bartenders welcome to participate. Several of the drinks we try are off-menu or seasonal menu experiments, and surprisingly, they’re the best ones. 

But we’ve got to start with the main drinks menu. Rift Valley’s inspired by the ‘first great migration’ out of Africa. Faux kola nut butter, bourbon, nutmeg bitters, caffeine vermouth. Kola nut butter, incidentally, is derived from a tree native to West Africa. So Aditya’s really not playing around here. The drink’s good: nutty and unexpectedly umami. 

Gullah Breeze (tequila, maple, pineapple tepache, prickly pear treacle) is from the Atlantic Slave Trade page, referencing ingredients from both the African and North American continents. Well balanced. Not overly fruity. 

The gin-based, clarified Iberian’s a standout. My first traitorish thought’s ‘wow, that’s the best Bloody Mary I’ve had’, but in truth, it’s nothing like a true Bloody Mary; it’d put one to shame. There’s a hint of that elusive umaminess of tomato with none of the overwhelming acidity found in tomato juice. The reason is that there’s no tomato juice here at all – it’s a ‘tomato water’ made in the kitchen. 

Vanishing Village (goji berry cognac, oolong tea, peach and ginger cordial) on the Chinese urban-to-rural migration part of the menu is unique: it can be served hot or cold, depending on if you find yourself at the bar with a sore throat. 

Hands down the best drink on the menu is the Nacho. An off-menu wonder. A drink that I’d personally come back for again and again. D’you know that sensation of biting into a crisp fresh nacho slathered in salsa? The Nacho’s nailed that bite in a sip. It’s sort of like how Violet Beauregarde must’ve felt after swallowing an entire meal off of one stick of gum inside Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. It’s one of the best cocktails I’ve probably ever had. By the end of the meal, Aditya looks in equal parts pleased and fed up by how many compliments I’ve paid the drink.  

The food

The food menu’s uncluttered, but not overlooked. Small plates, sharing plates, and dessert. So neither a bar snack situation nor a full blown main course affair. Satiates both the nibblers and the fellows who like to soak up the booze with carbs. 

The Refuge 65 is NOT a chicken 65, despite what the name suggests. ‘Baby, that’d offend three classes of people down south,’ Aditya drawls. ‘That’s not what we’re serving.’ What they’re actually serving is a chicken katsu crumbed to perfection paired with a gunpowder aioli. Made for easy snacking. 

Avocado Crossing’s a sublime rendition of an avocado toast with freshly whipped guac dolloped onto sheets of filo pastry. No cardboardy sourdough that makes your table rattle when you cut into it here. 

Ashes to Cream is a marvellous, nifty little dish. It’s essentially a chicken malai tikka, except it arrives on your table as a cloud of foam produced from a nitrous oxide charger, served with crackers and crostinis. It disintegrates in my mouth in seconds. 

The Only Pasta, titled so because it’s the only pasta on the menu, is maybe some of the best pasta I’ve eaten in town. Fat rigatoni, cooked al dente, in a manchego and mustard emulsion, which can be (and should be) ordered with a portion of imported smoked duck. Simply divine. 

It’s best to cap the gourmandising with a little more gluttony: the tiramisu – Aditya’s secret recipe. Again, one of the best ones I’ve had in town. I ask for the recipe and he gives it to me freely. ‘You want my recipe? Take it. But you’ll never, ever be able to replicate the way I make it,’ he says with a wink. Fair enough.

Should you go?

Is Refuge a gimmicky bar? Nope. I don’t think so. There’s zero pretentiousness here. Menus can be as elaborate as they want, and I’ll forgive the theatrics if the drinks taste good, and luckily, here they do. In fact, both the cocktails and food knock a lot of slick Delhi haunts out of the park. There’s an uncommon passion behind operations here, from the sourcing of ingredients to the balancing of flavours, and it’s worth every pretty penny. 

I’d recommend this bar to fans of well-mixed drinks, good food, and pared back interiors. It’s  not necessarily the most bawdy of bars so don’t expect loud music or a packed floor. Much more a quiet, sophisticated vibe. A chat with the bartender. Maybe even one with Aditya if he’s around. 

Time Out tip: Not only does Refuge have a massive terrace with a fantastic view of the Greater Kailash II market, but it also has a space on the floor below the main bar, which can be rented out for private parties. 

(With inputs from Anirudh Suresan)

Price for two: ₹2,500 for a round of drinks for two

Timings: 5pm-1am. Daily. 

Address: M-25, Third Floor, M Block Market, Greater Kailash II, New Delhi, Delhi 110048