Bar Stormy

Right off the bat, here’s something I can admit to – I’m slightly biased when it comes to bars helmed by Yangdup Lama and Minakshi Singh. The obsession began in 2013 at Cocktails & Dreams Speakeasy in Gurugram, or Speaks, as regulars lovingly call it.

Good days, bad days, breakups, deadlines, celebrations and even office farewells, an apple cinnamon mojito here saw me through all of them.

Then came Sidecar in GK II and later The Brook in Gurugram, both of which quickly became part of my regular drinking circuit. So when the duo announced they were taking their cocktails beyond Delhi-NCR (with Nepal’s Old House being the lone exception) and heading to Hyderabad, I was already mentally reserving a seat.

My assumption of Bar Stormy’s name was that it was a cheeky reference to the team storming into the City of Nizams. But if there’s one thing I should know by now, it’s that Yangdup rarely names a bar without sneaking a cocktail reference into the story. As it turns out, Stormy takes its cue from the rum-based Dark ’n’ Stormy. ‘We have always been about neighbourhood bars and classic cocktails with a twist,’ says Minakshi. Joining the team is tech entrepreneur and founder of Red Rhino Brewing Co, Kishore Pallamreddy.

What’s inside

Like all their other spaces, this one also has a laidback neighbourhood-bar vibe, the reliable kind. The 75-seater combines warm wood finishes with chrome accents and playful reminders, well, to unclench. Signs reading ‘Tension Nakko’ and ‘Come As You Are’ are scattered around the room.

One section features a mural created in collaboration with St+Art India and Guerrilla Art & Design, depicting people reading books, raising a toast and playing the guitar, alongside Telugu phrases such as ‘Plan ledu?’. There’s also a small stage. Minakshi tells me quizzes, gigs and community events will be part of the programming. 

While plenty of bars encourage you to pull up a chair and chat with the bartender, this one actually feels designed around that idea. Not surprising, given Sidecar’s just the same. You can watch Yangdup – or Mayuri, a feisty young bartender with mad infectious energy – shaking and stirring drinks while guests hover nearby.

But my unexpected object of affection was the bar itself, physically. It’s got little pink lamps dotted across the counter and cocktail shakers, books and cassettes on display, much like the team's other bars. What changed this time was how intensely I found myself nerding out over the workstation.

Yangdup designed the entire setup himself. Fabricated using a specialised fingerprint-resistant stainless steel rarely used in India, every detail has been thought through. Ice, glassware, garnishes, spirits, refrigeration and water are all within literal arm's reach, making the bartenders' movements look almost choreographed.

Behind it sits the prep room, visible through a glass pane, that offers a glimpse into the organised chaos powering the drinks programme. It’s only anchored by phrases scribbled on the wall such as ‘Only work, no bakchodi’.

But enough of all that. Let's get to the drinks. 

What to storm in here for

The Dark ’n’ Stormy arrived as a welcome drink, made with dark rum, ginger beer and lime. I absolutely loved the sharpness of the ginger, reassuring me that the start was right.

The menu features 10 Stormy Signatures, each accompanied by a flavour profile and mood meter. My next drink was the Southern Storm with vodka, toasted rice, mustard, curry leaves and sea salt: their version of curd rice in a glass. It was savoury, comforting and one of my favourites of the evening. Another standout was the Stormy Hot Mess. Made with tequila, guava, green chillies, roasted sesame and peanut butter, it somehow tasted like salan, and it did what I presume it was intended to do – tip its hat to Hyderabad itself, the city of biryani.

The next two drinks, though, offset this winning streak. The floral and fruity Stormy Shenanigans with gin, raspberry, blueberry and chilli tincture was a little too sweet for my liking, although it did arrive in a rather pretty glass with a glittering butterfly. The Stormy Samba seemed equally promising with butter-washed bourbon and reduced beer, but the cardamom felt a touch overenthusiastic.

There's another section called Timeless Tails, which brings crowd favourites from the group's other bars under one roof. Sidecar's Cilantro and The Brook's Maggi Point make an appearance here, among others. Highly recommended, especially if you're feeling indecisive.

The food

I genuinely can't remember the last time I ate this well at a bar. The food deserves full marks. The credit goes to chef Abhishek Halder, whose shareable plates disappeared from our table at alarming speed. The wai wai bhel and sweet chilli brie on toast were polished off within minutes.

And as a hardcore non-vegetarian, I can't believe I'm saying this, but the mushroom galouti with ulte tawe ka parantha was one of the star dishes. Soft, rich and practically melting in the mouth. 

The imli tuna crudo balanced tart tamarind with fresh tuna, avocado, bird's eye chilli, tanuki and curry leaf oil, while the Squid 65 came coated in a moreish 65 butter sauce with mint yoghurt. For larger appetites, there's pumpkin hummus with meatballs and a bone marrow nihari feast served with the softest saffron bun imaginable. 

By the end of the evening, I found myself feeling slightly conflicted. Bar Stormy comes from two of India's most respected bar professionals, so expectations naturally run high. While not every cocktail hit the mark for me, enough of them did to make the menu worth exploring. I'd happily return for the Southern Storm, but I'd probably be remembering the mushroom galouti and bone marrow nihari a little more.