Synthe

Synthe, Kolkata's newest cocktail bar, has a theory about the next hundred years of drinking. 2130 apparently involves tequila, chamomile, tomato and wasabi. For a 32-seater on Lee Road, that ambition carries along better than you’d expect. It’s also quite the interesting concept given that it sits in old Kolkata.

The trio of founders – Aman Bansal, Umaid Ahmed and Tabrez Nadeem – met over karaoke sessions in the same space where Synthe now stands. The name comes from ‘synthesiser,’ inspired by Giorgio by Moroder, the spoken-word centrepiece of Daft Punk's Random Access Memories. 

The space

Despite neon lights and mirrored walls, there’s none of the spaceship play one might expect. A circular glass fixture at the centre of the room and low seating keeps things easy for a night out, and there's no DJ or dance floor waiting to turn the place into a party once the cocktails start flowing. The music gets its own treatment, though. The playlist changes every month, moving between disco house, retro mixes and vinyl: Book Club Radio and Daft Punk both make the cut.

The drinks at Synthe

The drinks are divided across an imagined timeline, beginning in 2030 and stretching to 2130. There are 11 of them – a lucky number, and the founders wanted the menu to stay short. Cheers to keeping room for the future.

We start with Reclamation (2030): vodka, cucumber, mint, basil, shiso and fresh greens. Crisp, clean, closer to a salad than a cocktail.

Synthesis (2050) brings in some more drama. Tequila, pineapple and coconut with oxidised red wine floating above. The tropical sweetness sits under a darker, more savoury note from the wine.

By 2060, apparently, we're thinking about scarcity. Restraint is an Old Fashioned built on Johnnie Walker Black Label, cask influences and chamomile: oak and warmth, softened at the edges.

Emotional Design pushes further into dessert: butter-washed Dewar's 12 with brown butter syrup, cream foam and vanilla tincture. Sweet, rich.

Ancestral (2120) is the most adventurous pour. Mezcal, wasabi, yuzu and honey in a bowl, with smoke, citrus, sweetness and a quick hit of heat. The wasabi stays at the back of the palate rather than taking over.

Controlled Chaos (2130) is picante-style: strawberry, jalapeño and tabasco. Ripe sweetness first, then the chilli, then a vinegary tang from the tabasco.

If none of that sounds right, tell the bartender what you like. A more formal omakase-style cocktail experience, paired with food, is also in the works.

The food at Synthe

You’ve got twenty-two dishes split between vegetarian and non-vegetarian, built as small plates rather than heavy meals.

Order the Tokyo Crunch Royale – crisp rice topped with avocado tartare, crunch first, then cream. Blackout Futomaki, a little more filling, adds charcoal asparagus tempura to the roll. The Tropical Fire Bird pairs mango with habanero, the fruit taking the edge off the chilli.

The charred grilled prawns are the simplest dish on the menu: smoky from the grill, rich from the yuzu chilli butter, cut through with citrus.

The verdict

Synthe can sometimes lean too hard into its own concept. There's a lot to explain, after all, and some ideas read better on paper than in the glass. But the drinks carry the weight of the premise on their own. You don't need to care what people will be drinking in 2130 to be here, to be clear.