Kommune in T Nagar is designed with open, yet intimate spaces to encourage you to socialise

Standing tall in the center of the city, with the busy crowd bustling around it, is the newest pub in
T Nagar — Kommune. We step inside the month-old gastropub and discover open, yet intimate spaces, where you can socialise with a group of friends or even make friends with those next to your table, which is what the space encourages. “We wanted to give people a place where they can socialise — kind of like a Cosmopolitan Club kind of setting — and at the same time, serve up some delicious food and cocktails,” begins Mohit Kothari, Bar Manager of Kommune. However, if privacy is what you desire, there are couches tucked away at the corners, where you can spend some time alone, reading or just enjoying the music, we discover.

The 6,000 sq foot space with a cover of 147 is spread out in three levels, including a still-under-construction rooftop dining space. The decor is bright, clean and simple designs. What impressed us most were the little storage cabinets under the low tables, that stored all the cutlery - plates, spoons, knives and forks — which saves us the trouble of calling a waiter over every time we drop a fork (tends to happen quite often since the tables are low). There are also bright, high bar chairs and high tables set up on the first floor. We opt to sit on the comfortable looking couches and browse through the menu, which offers a wider array of starters and limited main course and desserts — a conscious choice — Mohit informs us.

Fry another day
The menu is a mix of different cuisines and offers everything from Indian and Italian, to Middle Eastern and Continental. We are intrigued by the Avocado Fries that arrive fresh out of the kitchen with a generous dusting of Cajun spices. Crispy on the outside and with a delicious creaminess in the centre that put its potato counterpart to shame, this is clearly a perfect start to our meal. We wash down the spice with a chilled melon and yoghurt soup, served cold. The soup has a smoothie-like texture and is quite confusing on the palate, if we are being really honest. We are coaxed into trying their signature dish, Zaitooni paneer aur Annanass kebab, the classic charred paneer and pineapple combo - a match made in heaven, with the smoky flavours from the tandoor just singing through.

Mock my words
The bar doesn’t have its liquor license yet, so we settle for the mocktails, which is Mohit’s area of expertise. First, we sample the Kopi Luwak, a take on Irish coffee that gives you the kind of kick that only coffee can. We wait to finish our scrumptious Shish Taouk - a Middle Eastern-inspired dish of chicken in a yogurt marinade - before moving on to the next mocktail. We choose Spicy Delight — a spicy guava mocktail with garlic and pepper — a bit on the savoury side, as far as mocktails go. The last dish we sample, is the Minced chicken stuffed onion rings. While we loved the textures from the crispy onion rings, the filling of herbed minced chicken failed to pack a flavour punch, with the chicken being a tad too dry for our palate. So, we drown our disappointment in the last mocktail, Shahi Tukda, a mix of saffron cream and coconut water with milk — which also serves as an excellent sweet ending to our experience.

Open 3 pm to 11 pm (Mon to Thurs) & from Noon to 11 pm on weekends. Meal for two: Rs 1,500
with mocktails.

nandita.ravi@newindianexpress.com | @nanditaravi