The best bars in Delhi

What is it: A retrofuturistic conception lab for cocktails spread across a 21-foot omakase style bar and listening lounge. 

Why go: Innovation’s the name of the game here. The interiors are a joy to behold, starting right from the museum-esque wall of ingredients you see when you first climb up the stairs, giving it the look of an apothecary straight from the sets of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune. The menu’s divided into three sections: Yesterday, which features reimagined classics; Today, which offers their take on hot favourites like an Ube Colada and Consommé Paloma; and Tomorrow, which features some truly wacky drinks, like one inspired by Thai curry. 

Must try: The Charred Aubergine, a gin-based cocktail paying homage to the baingan ka bharta (a famous flame-roasted eggplant dish across Indian households), with roasted eggplant cordial, bell pepper-infused Patron, all garnished with edible ants and three kinds of salt. Served in a wooden box. 

Address: First floor, No. 57, Basant Lok Market, Vasant Vihar, Delhi 110057

Timings: Daily. 6pm-1am. 

Expect to pay: ₹2,500 per person for two drinks

What is it: A 38-seater bar with a menu inspired by the mountain states of India

Why go: Barbet’s managed to combine the best bits of every kind of bar: it feels warm and community-driven the way a dive bar would, yet retains some of that sleek secrecy that comes with well-furnished speakeasies. The drinks bring top-notch flavour profiles (at admittedly high price tags) and the bar menu’s got a mix of North Indian comfort food as well as some truly great Northeast Indian inspired dishes. Service is impeccable, and you’ll likely stay till closing hours. Great for big groups. 

Must try: The Tickle My Pickle, a fruity, pickley, fizzy concoction. 

Time Out tip: Take advantage of the free shots offered by waitstaff as it nears closing hours. 

Address: M-51, M Block Market, Greater Kailash II, New Delhi 110048

Timings: Wed-Mon. 10am-1am. Tues closed. 
Expect to pay: ₹2,500 per person for two drinks.

What is it: In their own words: ‘Not a secret, not a speakeasy. Just a bar above the market, hidden in plain sight’.

Why go: It’s a true modern day bar with a wonderfully designed menu, where each cocktail is described as a little story, and each table gets a pairing of tiny toothpicks skewered with chunks of pineapple and olives. Aimed at a younger crowd, the music is funky, the drinks funkier, with excellent service and warm hosts who make you feel right at home. Try the Wild Escape, said to be inspired by shrooms, with an umami profile and chocolate notes, or the Shark Attack, where a tiny shark filled with wine and berry cordials lands into your glass of clear tequila and ice, making it seem like a scene straight out of Jaws.

Must try: The Strawberry Cheesecake – vermouth, mezcal and gin, topped with a strawberry cheesecake foam, balanced by a note of celery.

Address: Third floor, M block market, M-63, Block M, Greater Kailash II, Greater Kailash, New Delhi, Delhi 110048

Timings: Wed-Mon. Tues closed. 5pm until late. 

Expect to pay: ₹2,000 per person for two-ish drinks.

What is it: The newest kid on the block hopping onto the speakeasy trend, but one that stays truer to the idea than most – no social media page, no secret signboards. Just a bar behind a sandwich shop relying on word of mouth. 

Why go: Located behind a Japanese sando shop in south Delhi's Basant Lok market lies, mercifully, a bar that doesn’t have a ‘Large Plates’ section on their menu. TBBTSS (as it’s popularly abbreviated) is a proper bar – the menu is in the style of a bartender’s notebook, with scribbled recipes, mini polaroids of drinks, and even some informational stuff on how they’re made and served. Grey Area, with Palo Santo-infused rum; Earl Grey, homemade amaro and ginger ale fizz; and the Ginake, are complex drinks and a joy to sip on, best accompanied by the in-house chicken karaage that’s served with kewpie mayo. For those with an appetite, the sandwich shop next door (Shokupan) has a small window into the bar through which they can send their excellent pork belly sandwich or the chicken katsu sando.

Must try: The Ginake is spectacular – a portmanteau of gin and sake alongside vetiver. 

Address: Dasht Gard, 5, Basant Lok market, first floor behind Shokupan, above Strangr, New Delhi 110057

Timings: Tues-Sun. 6pm-1am. 

Expect to pay: ₹1,300 per person

What is it: The closest thing South Delhi has to a dive bar, with lawyers and journalists filling up every nook and cranny while downing copious amounts of beer.

Why go: 4S is nothing short of an institution, especially among the legal and press fraternity. A testament to this fact is that it’s always packed, starting from early afternoon, although the servers (warmer and more affable than anywhere else in Delhi) will do their best to accommodate you by the bar before moving you to a table. The beer’s free flowing, it’s cramped, noisy (70s, 80s classics), and you’re going to LOVE the snacks, which are as basic and delicious as it gets. 

Must try: The chilli chicken or golden fried baby corn alongside your beer or whiskey. 

Time Out tip: One of the best places in Delhi for making friends (or bumping into old ones). 

Address: 26A, Main Market, Block A, Defence Colony, New Delhi 110024 

Timings: Daily. Noon-11.30pm.

Expect to pay: ₹900 per person for two or three beers.

What is it: A contemporary open-air bar that feels like you’ve walked into a rooftop soiree of a particularly affable architect.

Why go: Strangr is the bar run by the folks behind Greenr, one of the frontrunners on Delhi’s vegan food scene. Situated on the terrace of the building in which Greenr stands, it can either be the perfect spot for a hushed candle-lit conversation or, on busier weekends, double up as a venue for a tech music DJ or other live performances. The tequila and mezcal-based cocktails are some of the best in the city, and the truffle flatbread has its own fanbase among the regulars. 

Must try: The mezcal-based picante – Bhao – remains a crowd favourite. 

Time Out tip: Don’t think about coming here for a full dinner. It’s very much a bar snacks only situation. 

Address: N4, N Block Market, Greater Kailash 1, New Delhi 110047

Timings: Wed-Sun. Tues closed. 5pm-1am. 

Expect to pay: ₹1,700 per person

What is it: A maturely sexy haunt sporting a 43-foot bar and drinks inspired by mass migrations in history

Why go: It's rare to find an elaborately themed cocktail menu that pulls off well-balanced flavours. Drinks here stand out because of an uncommon attention to detail and ingredient quality, with a stellar food menu that offers small to medium portions of seriously good food.

Must try: The Nacho, a clarified, off-menu drink that tastes exactly like a nacho slathered in salsa.

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

Timings: Daily. 5pm-1am. 

Expect to pay: ₹2,500 per person for two drinks

What is it: A quiet speakeasy fashioned along the lines of a Japanese izakaya, hidden behind a vinyl and cigar lounge, with great Asian-inspired drinks and delicious bar bites.

Why go: No signs, no fanfare – the lift opens in front of a small door that says Vinyls and Cigars, and opens into a room that has the roof fashioned in the style of Japanese sand art, with small tables and stools scattered around the room. The menus are printed on soft cloth napkins, the drinks are exquisitely presented, and the music is soft. Get the Wabi Sabi, with tequila, plum and shiso, or the Japanese Cadillac – their take on an elderflower and gin based cocktail. Pair them with the gochujang corn ribs or the parmesan and truffle edamame.

Best for: The Picanime – scotch and sakura meet jalapeno and lime. 

Time Out tip: An ideal date night spot, though gets admittedly loud when packed. 

Address: Third floor above Pete’s Deli, Greater Kailash II, M Block Market, New Delhi 110048

Timings: Daily. 5pm-1am. 

Expect to pay: ₹2,000 per person

What is it: A modernist bar that redefined Delhi’s affinity towards cocktails, with intimate settings and incredible brews that have the city’s enthusiasts hooked.

Why go: Mononchromatic interiors with subtle lighting, a menu that takes inspirations from India’s geography and topography, with drinks from each part of India making their way onto the menu and asian food to complement it all: a night out at Lair is always memorable. The music tends to lean techno-heavy but if you’re not a fan, the general good vibe will excuse that. The drinks also come with interesting, usually edible garnishes from all around the country – a curry leaf in the Madurai Martini to the Bengali gondhoraj lime that’s used across a bunch of cocktails. 

Must order: The Madurai Martini and the Rangpur Fizz are fantastic, and be warned, the complimentary truffle popcorn is addictive. 

Time Out tip: If you hang around by the bar long enough, the bartender will pour you a round of popcorn-infused shots on the house. 

Address: 15, Basant Lok Market, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi 110057

Timings: Daily. 5pm-1am. 

Expect to pay: ₹1,600 per person for two-ish drinks

What is it: A record bar in Defence Colony market serving great drinks and fantastic food, hosting music nights a couple of days a week.

Why go: In a city of bars with loud conversations and music, Genre feels calmer than most. The ground floor caters more towards diners, while the second floor’s more suited to drinkers, what with the bar with a record-playing booth. The drinks (many of them clarified to perfection) are top-notch, with ingredient quality standing out. Mezcal and pisco-based drinks dominate the menu (hard to come by anywhere else in the city) and the food is at par, if not better, than the drinks. Try the parmesan chicken skewers, the eggs benedict, or the steak cumin noodles. 

Must try: Late Night People, a citrusy, clarified espresso tonic of sorts, or Rare Pleasure, with Creyente mezcal, melon, and red wine.

Address: Shop No. 7, ground floor, Main Market, Block A, Defence Colony, New Delhi 110024

Timings: Daily. 10am-1am. 

Expect to pay: ₹1,900 per person for two drinks. 

What is it: An easy-breezy Asian-fusion restaurant that happens to have a great drinks menu. 

Why go: The drinks are great, and the bar menu is divided into sections aimed at enthusiasts, newbies and the blase tippler. Something Spicy comes with tequila, coriander, lime and celery bitters, while the Double Barrel is weighty and serious, with bourbon, cherry liqueur, malbec shiraz and bitters. The bar bites are fantastic – try the mushroom and blue cheese beignets and the egg dumplings. Since they don’t call themselves a proper bar, they’ve got a great selection of heartier dishes too. 

Must try: The Lao Gan Margarita is stellar – tequila infused with the famous Lao Gan chilli crisp is used to make the margarita, and it’s served with a side of spicy Pringle chips topped with a home made peanut-caramel bark with the same Lao Gan chilli crisp.

Address: Second floor, M27, M Block Market, Greater Kailash II, New Delhi 110048

Timings: Tues-Sun. 12pm-1am. 

Expect to pay: ₹1,500 per person

What is it: If Delhi’s bar scene were the Renaissance, Sidecar would be Michelangelo, Da Vinci and Raphael rolled into one. It’s the bar that put Delhi on the global, or at least, the Asian cocktail map. 

Why go: An artisanal cocktail bar that was the first Indian bar to break into Asia’s Top 50 Bars list, Sidecar set the standard for posh bars in the city. They have a signature menu that keeps changing, as well as some evergreen sections, making sure that nothing ever gets old but the regulars don’t stop coming. Get the Ceylon (smoky vodka, miso coconut liqueur, cold brew and truffle), or the Myrtle (which captures the essence of a spice market with St Remy VSOP, myrtle leaf cordial, and lime). Or, of course, their Enchanté, which features a peach sticker floating atop the drink. 

Must try: From their Delhi menu, ask for Sadar Bazar – cognac, sandalwood, orange blossom water. Or get the Emirati from their signature menu, with mezcal, aperol, herb liqueur and lemon.

Time Out tip: Service can sometimes be slow so maybe order in twos. Keep track of their social media since they also often host bartender takeovers from other popular bars across the world.  

Address: M-29, M Block Market, Greater Kailash II, New Delhi 110048

Timings: Daily. 10am-1am. 

Expect to pay: ₹2,500 per person for two drinks.