The spice has been turned up a notch in industrial-cool and brewery-heavy Brookvale with the opening of Bazaar & Bar – a neighbourhood Indian wine bar and restaurant by the team behind curry-and-beer house Sketch Manly. Owner Kabir Arora (ex-Salt Meats Cheese) aims to connect Northern Beaches locals with the tastes of his home – alongside excellent booze – served in a laid-back setting.
“We’re not trying to reinvent Indian food – we’re showcasing it in a setting people might not expect. Think Indian flavours, local produce and a glass of great wine. It’s casual, warm and full of heart,” says Kabir.
To achieve this, Arora has brought on Adwait Jagtap to lead the kitchen as head chef. He brings experience on the pans at Raja, Kolkata Social and Bathers’ Pavilion.
“This is food with a soul,” says Adwait. “These are the flavours I grew up eating – dishes with a story, a sense of place.”
Kick things off with Sydney rock oysters bolstered by a tamarind and curry leaf mignonette; potato-stuffed flatbread with nigella seeds and whipped butter; and semolina-crusted fish collar brightened with lime.
Prawn gassi sees sweet prawns bathed in a rich tamarind and coconut sauce with red chilli and curry leaves; slow-cooked goat gets a flavour kick from garlic and aromatic spices; and dal, with its soft lentils cooked with cumin and ghee, delivers on the comfort factor.
Bazaar & Bar serves classic cocktails imagined through an Indian lens. Take the Garam Masala Negroni, featuring Manly Spirits gin, masala vermouth and bitters; or the Rosewater Martini, subtly perfumed with rosewater and served dry. Plus, there’s a selection of Indian spirits to try, including Goan gins, and cold craft Aussies beers, like Mollymook’s Dangerous Ales.
It wouldn’t be a wine bar without a strong wine list – and Bazaar & Bar’s one champions local and small-scale producers. Expect to find fun pet nats, crisp whites and bold reds that go hand in hand with spice and big flavours.
Bazaar & Bar isn't the only Indian wine bar to open in Sydney of late, with Rasa House now open on the waterfront in Rose Bay.
Head to Brookie and come check it out.
Find out more here.
Address: 10 Orchard Rd, Brookvale NSW 2100
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