Tucked away in a clandestine corner of The Leela, ZLB23 is a Kyoto-themed speakeasy that lures you in with seductive blues and cocktails that will keep you buzzing. Over my multiple visits to this bar, there's a moment, somewhere between your second and third drink at ZLB23, where you stop thinking about what's in your glass and start thinking about why it works so well. That's not an accident. Nothing at this bar is.
With a new cocktail menu and a Theatrical experience of the art of bartending, ZLB23 is pushing the envelope, and I am glad to be the one unveiling it.
In conversation with the bar team at ZLB23
ZLB23 has built one of India's most quietly formidable reputations — #31 on Asia's 50 Best Bars, Best Bar in India 2024, and the kind of word-of-mouth that makes people feel slightly smug for knowing about it. But accolades have a shelf life, and the bars that last are the ones that keep asking better questions of themselves. With a new cocktail menu and the recently unveiled Theatre experience, ZLB23 is clearly still in the business of asking. We sat in conversation with the head mixologist, who unfurled the themes behind the new menu..
The Shoyu Ramen has been on the menu for a while. What is it, exactly?
"It's a savoury, umami drink. Think of it as a ramen broth, but in a cocktail. It's the savoury side of things — not sweet, not citrus-forward. It's just deeply savoury and satisfying."
And the Zelby Old Fashioned?
"That one has been there for a very long time. It was originally called the Japanese Old Fashioned. We made some changes — there was an issue with the Cocoa Fennel syrup, so we replaced it with a more straightforward sugar. But the spirit of the drink is the same."
Tell me about the Hiboru. That's the one you won a competition with?
"Yes. That drink took me to Japan. It's made with Worcestershire and Demerara, and it's one I'm personally very attached to. Winning with that drink was a significant moment."
And the Palmetto — you've changed that one?
"We've reworked the base. A classic Palmetto is equal parts vermouth and rum. In our version, we've blended rum and whisky together, which gives the drink more body. Then we use Palo Santo vermouth instead of regular vermouth, and there's some black pepper in there. It's richer, more complex — more of a nightcap kind of drink. We serve it with a chocolate accompaniment, so you can finish the drink with that. That's the whole idea."
Curtain call- ZLB23 invites all your 5 senses at The Theatre
A cocktail menu laid out as a movie, with each act unveiled in turn, is the heart of The Theatre. The natural progression of tastes on the palate reveals the opening, building, deepening, and finally settling of flavour as each encounter progresses from bitter to sour and savoury to sweet. The space is defined by the duality of discipline and instinct, and each act pulls from a different cultural or historical event, reconstructed through ZLB23's Kyoto-informed perspective.
We start with bitters. It is introduced in the first act more as a welcome gesture than an aggressive one. This act subtly but effectively stimulates the palate, drawing inspiration from the aperitivo traditions of 19th-century Milan and the beginnings of the Milano-Torino. The makrut lime vermouth gives an aromatic lift; the strawberry brings intensity down, the Japanese whisky adds restraint, and the carbonation makes it all clear.
Bright and energetic music takes centre stage in Act Two, drawing inspiration from Daisy-style cocktails that originated in the early 20th century along the United States-Mexico border. The combination of agave, citrus ice, layered citrus juices, and tempered mezcal smoke jolts the senses and propels acidity forward.
The third act is centred around salty and savoury aspects, drawing inspiration from the evolution of the "Red Snapper" in the 1920s in New York and Paris. Gin lends balance and precision, while a hint of celery, spice, tomato water, and a delicate mist of salt air bring subtle depth without going overboard. This action gives the flavour more gravitas and power, which in turn makes it audible in moderation.
The last act evokes both classic Hollywood glamour and Havana during Prohibition. Indulgence is not the way sweetness comes, but rather its resolution. The harmonious blend of rum, pineapple, citrus, maraschino, and pomegranate helps alleviate stress and create serene, enduring harmony.
At ₹30,000 for up to seven people, it's considered a splurge. But as a format, genuinely immersive, genuinely different, with no equivalent currently operating in India, it justifies itself.
One Night in Cheongdam, Served at ZLB23
Clearly, we had to go back to ZLB23 for seconds! The best bar collaborations don't feel like events. They feel like introductions, two people at a party who clearly should have met sooner. The one-night takeover by Bar Kiez, Seoul, at ZLB23 on 16th April was precisely that kind of evening.
We sipped on the strawberry yoghurt cocktail that was exactly the respite we needed on a warm Bangalore evening. Sweet, tangy and creamy – and a bite of the rich tenderloin strips on the side made for an indulgent mouthful. The Miso-sexy cocktail is exactly the layered concoction that our palates needed! Served with a skewered rice-cake, it was every bit as umami and savoury as you would think, with a surprise of sweet indulgence as it lingers. It's simple, and yet so quickly disarming that you are left wanting more.
I sat down with Don before the evening got underway.
The menu moves from strawberry to tomato to miso — it's quite a journey. What was the philosophy behind it?
"I don't have a direct concept. My philosophy is approachability. I think nowadays many cocktails are over-engineered — it makes sense technically, but for me, a cocktail should be enjoyable. For everyone. Sometimes drinks can be a little too challenging, and I want everyone to be able to enjoy what's in their glass. A bar should be for everyone."
Is that also where the name Kiez comes from?
"Yes. Kiez refers to a neighbourhood in Hamburg, Germany, where I grew up. It's a very vibrant neighbourhood — upper class, middle class, working class, everyone comes together and has a great time. That's the spirit I want to bring to the bar. That's also why my team doesn't have a uniform. Not because I'm not professional, but because I don't want anyone to feel like they're walking into somewhere that isn't for them."
You mention Korean influences in the menu, but you're also very clear that it isn't a Korean bar. How do you navigate that?
"I'm born in Korea, but I grew up in Germany. It would be very inauthentic if I used only Korean ingredients — I'd just be performing a culture that isn't fully mine. The Mi-So Sexy is there because whenever I'm a guest at another bar, I like to make something specific for them, to show some effort and some of where I come from. But the menu as a whole is much more about my full journey."
What makes a cocktail genuinely stand out, in your view?
"As few ingredients as possible. If you cannot taste a distinguished ingredient in a cocktail, you don't need it — take it out. I tell my bartenders: aim for fewer ingredients. A human palate can only detect so much. If you over-cluster it, it's going to taste like kombucha. What makes a drink outstanding is when you can taste every single flavour that goes into it."
In a city that's learning to take its drinking seriously, ZLB23 remains the quiet benchmark against which everything else is measured. The door is hidden, but at this point, everyone knows where to knock.