Cocktail bars are having a moment in Delhi. But since so many are popping up across the city, each one is trying too hard to do something remarkably different.
Finally, there seems to be one that is succeeding at that. Let’s Kiss in GK3 is a no-menu cocktail bar that places great trust in its bartender and makes omakase central to the concept. Before we go deeper into the experience at Let’s Kiss, what is omakase? It is a Japanese phrase that translates to, “I leave it up to you.” So, an omakase cocktail bar is one where you leave your sips to the bartender. Tell your spirit preference and flavour profile, and minutes later, you will be sipping exactly what you like.
Magic!
Housed within Nadoo in Greater Kailash, Let’s Kiss is Sahil Sambhi’s latest venture in Delhi. If you are planning your visit for a weekend, ensure you book a table well in advance, as the bar is almost always bustling. Even weekdays aren’t dull, so rest assured and have a stellar time. And if you want to know if you can trust the bartenders, read on.
Can You Trust The Bartenders?
Manoj Singh Rawat, the beverage head at the cocktail bar greeted me with a shot! That set the tone just right for what would unfold. I am a huge tequila fan so the spirit preference was clear. “But I don’t like my drinks too sweet,” I told Rawat. He made notes and said, “You got it!”
Next minute, he approached me swaying, in hand a glass that had something written all over. “Let’s Keep It Simple And Sexy.” The tequila-based drink paired bell pepper cordial with roasted pineapples. The smokiness of mezcal paired with a hint of sweetness from the pineapples, and the umami of the bell pepper cordial, all came together to give me a drink that I devoured till the last sip.
Let’s Kiss has umpteen in-house cordials, tinctures, and butters
With the right dose of smokiness, I now needed something more refreshing, not sweet again but citrusy. The drink that arrived next was Rawat’s take on the paloma (my love for tequila clearly knows no bounds). Prepared using Mexican cactus juice (called Prickly Pear), the drink also featured strawberry and grapefruit with the rim of the glass coated with an in-house salt prepared using house waste and vegetable peels. Let’s Kiss also has an in-house carbonation setup, no garnishes, and umpteen house-made bitters, oils, tinctures, and cordials.
My final drink was not tequila but gin with a red wine float. This one arrived potent and capable of growing hair on someone’s chest— which also means the perfect last drink. With fruity and floral notes from stone fruits like peach, plum, and apricot, the drink featured a house-made plum pickle that Rawat spoke very proudly about. The red wine didn’t float but a jasmine spray added the aroma that tempted me to take a long kiss. I have to say, out of the three drinks, this hit the strongest (also because it paired two spirits) but was also the most delicious of the three.
I ended on a nostalgic note with a Pepsi bottle. I chose the Masala Cola variant. It featured an a kokum and tamarind syrup and a tequila base making it a refreshing highball drink.
The Food Menu
I was quite impressed with my drinks and if you ask me, please invest all your trust in the bartenders at Let’s Kiss. While most bars are infamous for their food offerings, Let’s Kiss does it well but in much smaller portions. Means, you are paying much more than you are eating. For vegetarians, options are even lesser. I particularly enjoyed their Wild Mushroom Tartine but the dish arrived as a single loaf of sourdough. The house-fried chips make for great chakhna and the dips make it more worth the order.
From the small plates, I would recommend against the Grilled Paneer and Broccoli skewers. They were oven grilled with miso, pepper, and toasted sesame. Crunchy yes, but the veggies weren’t marinated at all to allow the flavours to seep in. The house hummus, fresh salsa, and crisps made for good bar bites but not something I would order again.
Final Verdict
At the end, if you are looking for a place to enjoy great, fuss-free drinks paired with a vibe that let’s you sway and move without the fear of being judged, Let’s Kiss is the top contender. But don’t go hungry. You might not find your bite. All in all, sip away and unleash your imagination to challenge the very kind bartenders. Happy drinking!
