Monkey Bar's new menu has impeccable flavours, easy small plates and one-of-a-kind cocktails

Just in time to make our winter binging more interesting, Monkey Bar has introduced some stellar new additions to their menu. The gastropub which already has a reputation for some of the quirkiest home-meets-world pairings, is kicking it up a notch. The newer additions have been influenced by some of the finest culinary cultures in the country and even gives some lesser known delicacies a try. Monkey Bar’s new menu has added some exceptionally curated small plates options - something that the fuss-free gourmands are warming up to.

“The small plates have always been in great demand, especially now, no one wants to come into a bar and get their hands messy or look for a napkin. Monkey Bar was the first brand to introduce a vindaloo or a Bheja Fry into a gastropub menu. We have evolved as a brand in the last few years and this time, we consciously focused on this popular style which comes in portions that are not overwhelming and lets you binge. We have put in a lot of research in curating this menu and have featured some incredible indigenous ingredients like Bandel cheese and gundruk,” Dheeraj Varma, Head Chef, of Monkey Bar tells us.

The new menu features some yummy stuffed Indian breads like the Malabari Mutton Kulcha, Butter Chicken Kulcha and offbeat Onion and Cheese Kulcha, the latter made with Kalimpong cheese. You’ll find some unexplored street food-inspired numbers like the Thelawala Mutton Seekh, Bandel and Malai Fish Kebab, Dilli Samosa Chaat with curried potato and green peas stuffed mini samosas topped with chutney and a side of Sindhi style khatti dal.

The ‘Soups and Salads’ section is hugely impressive as it includes everything from the Tibetan Thukpa, to a light Watermelon and Feta Escabeche Salad. We, of course, started things off with a burger - Monkey Fried Chicken Burger is made with a juicy spice-fried chicken which is teamed up with black bean mayo, cheese sauce, tomato and arugula. We paired it with a funky Tommish Collins cocktail which comes with a murabba dipper.

The Indian Odyssey Platter is a desi spin on the Mediterranean mezze platter, made with a Bengali style baingan bharta ( kind of an alternate Babaganoush), Kaddu Hummus, salted labneh, bonda vada (instead of the falafel) and pickled ‘Shalgam’ or turnip and carrots with Kalimpong cheese. One of the best things on the new menu is the Naga Pork, a spicy, remarkably seasoned crisped pork belly cooked in soy, hoisin and Nagai chilli, which is a North-Eastern speciality not easily available in the city. Monkey Bar is also serving a Masala Chai Eton Mess, a cheeky take on the traditional English meringue-based dessert, which features shards of delicious meringue and is topped with chanti cream, berry chilli compote and masala chai powder. Price for two: Rs 2,000.