Black Lacquer

This one’s a direct import from London, where it exists as an event space-cum-listening room. Black Lacquer is inside Roswyn Mumbai, which is right next to the international terminal of the Mumbai airport. This Japanese-inspired listening bar has a wide collection of records decked up all around. 

The dark room setting with modern aesthetics leaning towards 1950s Miami and modern Tokyo, the low lighting, and soundproofed ceiling, make for an intimate setting. I went on a delightful date night here. You arrive and shut the world out. You can literally never tell what time it is outside, and that, I think, is the best part. They even have a hidden speakeasy room which can be booked for private events, bachelor parties, and more.

The menu’s got izakaya-style shared plates, ceviches, nigiris, robata, and more. Their cocktails, sake and shochu, Japanese beer, and in-house non-alcoholic sodas only complement the mood and the setting. The more time you spend inside and the more the tempo builds over the hours, the more you are almost addicted to the space. 

The attention to detail is precise: in its design, its spatial layout, its service, its music selection, and its overall curation.