Toast and Tonic’s approach to gin and tonics made Bengaluru fall in love with cocktails. The East Village-style bohemian vibe of the restaurant and bar fit in perfectly with the city and it quickly became the go-to
place for special occasions. Now, in the same spirit of innovation, the restaurant launches some fun new cocktails in a special menu, and an array of new dishes. We decided to check it out on a busy Saturday afternoon.
Spirited away
The Drink Outside The Box cocktail menu is only available until December 15, but the most popular choices will make it to their permanent menu. The idea behind the menu is to highlight local ingredients and create drinks that are not limited by tradition. Northeastern Star is the one we first spotted on the menu. Beefeater gin meets the flavours of Manipuri wild grapefruit and wild spiced tonic water in this refreshing beverage. The Chivas Flannel Shirt is one for the whiskey lovers. The seasonal drink has warm notes of apple cider vinegar, all-spice powder and orange zest, blended with Chivas Regal and dry vermouth. The cocktail Pink Pepper is inspired by French craft spirit brand, Audemus, which is popular for its Pink Pepper Gin. Boasting notes of pink peppercorn, grapefruit and lemon bitters, it has a base of Monkey 47, a gin distilled in the Black Forest region of Germany.
Fermentation continues to be a strong trend so why should it not creep into cocktails as well? The Berry Kombucha is made with Beefeater gin, mixed berry bitters and Soma kombucha.
Small talk
Our cocktails were served with a selection of their new small plates. One that we could not get enough of was the Choripan Chimichurri Potatoes. The Argentinian street-style dish has fried baby potatoes, tossed in aioli, smoked aubergine and chimichurri sauce. One can never go wrong with fried potatoes, and the freshly made sauce elevated the dish. A must-try for vegans is the T&T Vegan Dan Dan Noodles — hand-made noodles tossed in a sauce made of coconut, tahini and chilli crisp. The noodles are also topped with Korean-style Dakagangjeong cauliflower — a winning combination. We rounded off the lunch with a Karma-Sutra, sticky toffee fudge, fig bar and chocolate ganache with bajra puffs, served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
The new additions to the menu retain the signature touch that Toast and Tonic is known and loved for.
Rs 2,500 ++ for two. At Wood Street
anagha@newindianexpress.com
@anaghzzz