At Rewind by Radio Room, we found ourselves doing exactly what the name suggests: slowing down. Half the credit goes to the ambience. The lighting was dim but not gloomy, the music was lively without becoming intrusive and the service had an easy warmth to it. It is a room where we can actually talk without raising our voices, which already made the evening feel different. And thus began the entry of food and drinks one by one.

We were welcomed by Golden hour, where we saw the seaweed garnish dissolve into the drink as we took sips one after the other. It added a subtle savoury quality to the drink that made us enjoy every sip.

The Thecha paneer kebab was the first dish we tried. It was unarguably one of the softest paneer we had in a recent while. This was married with a noticeable smoky character, while the thecha added the heat.

The Rewind chili beef followed with a more familiar personality. There is little colour on the plate, as opposed to the dark-coloured ones we get often. But that’s the part we loved about this dish the most. This hot shallow-fried beef was homely, almost like something we could imagine finding at a well-loved dinner table.

The First cut offerred a change of pace. It was less flamboyant than some of the other cocktails, with a cleaner, more measured drinking experience. The Benne dosa tacos with kara chutney, which arrived next, made a strong case for eating with our hands. Available with mutton, chicken, and avocado fillings, the crisp dosa shell gave the format its South Indian identity while the fillings took it somewhere else. The ghee mutton was our clear favourite. The avocado, meanwhile, was unexpectedly interesting, giving us a softer, creamier combination.

Next up was a truly delightful dish that hit all the right notes. The fusion of creamy cheese, sweet cherry, and tangy pineapple was a revelation, expertly balanced and served with a trio of crispy chips —potato, tapioca, and bitter gourd—adding a satisfying crunch to each bite. The Haleem croquettes were another good bar snack. Crisp on the outside and rich within, they condense the hearty character of haleem into a format that works particularly well with cocktails.

For mains, we opted for the Lamb shoulder nihari with sourdough roti, which was rich and tender, carrying the familiar warmth of nihari. It feels substantial and homely, especially after the lighter seafood and snackable plates.

The Presidential pour felt like a more serious drink. It had a deeper, slower personality. We let it sit for a while between bites of the Nihari lamb shoulder, which brought its own sense of comfort to the table.

The Chocolate souffle arrives warm, soft and deeply comforting. It was less about complexity and more about that immediate sense of warmth, the sort of dessert that makes us instinctively slow down.

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