While dining can be a tasting experience, some places go beyond one sense. These cocktail bars provide a multi-sensory experience, beginning with a visual feast. The intentional design of these immaculately designed cocktail bars tells a story through their aesthetic. Nominated for best-designed cocktail bars at the Zee Zest Unlimit Awards 2026, let’s explore how these cocktail bars are redefining dining experiences!
The Brook, Gurgaon
The Brook evokes the sense of being in a mountain retreat, drawing inspiration from Lord Tennyson's famous poem. Floors covered with stone tiles, ceilings supported by wood beams, furnishings crafted from wood, and glass dome lighting above create an atmosphere that is both rustic and familiar. A big glass window along one side has verses from The Brook stencilled on it, and another wall is occupied with a custom artwork. In collaboration with Royal Enfield, an undeniable emblem of the mountains, textile designer and tapestry weaver Julie Kagti has crafted an installation that pays tribute to the diverse lifeforms and breathtaking landscapes of the Himalayas. The installation is woven using a hook tapestry technique and uses 90% recycled natural materials. Softly playing old rock from the 1970s and 1980s adds to the celebratory mood.
Boilermaker, Goa
Inspired by the state's dwindling hut culture, Boilermaker embraces a more intimate and energetic open space, setting itself different from Goa's usual large, air-conditioned venues. The design maintains the DIY spirit of a local watering hole by adopting a gritty, unpolished style. A corrugated metal sheet covers the polished wooden bar, while an old wooden door converted into a communal table and metal touches pay homage to the pub's nickname. Strings of yellow lightbulbs, steel quarter plates, and a mishmash of seats create an informal atmosphere. Created by architects Rochelle Santimano, Nikhil Doshi and their team at Studio Praia, the space features raw plastered walls and stickered bathroom decor. Perfect for a laid-back evening if you ask us.
The Nutcase, Kolkata
Despite its hide-and-seek location at 91 Manoharpukur Rd, Kolkata 29, the Nutcase will make you feel like you've stepped into a trendy cocktail lounge in Brooklyn or Berlin. A local watering hole with completely different coordinates would be the best description of this room, with its Bauhaus touches, verdant walls, warm wood, and mood lighting. Nevertheless, it is located here. One of the few buildings from this era still standing on this street, Nutcase Etc. is housed in a 109-year-old structure that features art deco accents and old-world khorkhori windows. One of the tiniest watering holes in town, with just 650 square feet of space and room for 35 patrons.
Additionally, it deviates from the norm by situating the action in an alcove called the “Games Room”. In this area, you'll find a specially-made board game that cleverly takes inspiration from the old game of Snakes and Ladders. Instead of using the traditional ladders, you'll be using Kolkata's famous bars and the city's notorious police checkpoints as the serpents. Nutcase gives you the global flavour of a Berlin speakeasy, but its ingredients are proudly rooted in Kolkata!
Hedonist — Fairmont, Mumbai
While it is located at Fairmont in Mumbai, The Hedonist aspires to be more than a hotel bar. Scenes of vintage jazz clubs in Montmartre or Manhattan are conjured by the dark wood panelling, curved leather booths, and brass embellishments. With live jazz performances providing a low, steady beat, the venue is designed more for listening than for drinking. The interiors, created by the Bangkok-based studio P49 Deesign, reveal themselves layer by layer: modern Indian crafts coexist with subtle references to art deco geometry. Venu Juneja's art program provides other clues, such as stylised allusions to jazz-era icons and vintage floral arrangements that also serve as record player themes and lighting fixtures that change colours as the night progresses.
Bar Outrigger, Goa
Like setting out on a treasure quest, Bar Outrigger is hard to find, but once you get there, a porthole shows you what's beyond. An assortment of rum drinks is mixed with bar-friendly fare at this bar that pays homage to rum's heritage. The Busride, the world-renowned design company of brothers Ayaz and Zameer Basrai, has created the breathtaking interiors of Bar Outrigger out of a former parking lot for fishing boats. With its gentle teal walls, tall planters, and comfortable deep brown sofas, the room radiates cosiness. The centrepiece is an L-shaped bar made of solid wood with cane-woven stools, and the bay windows provide beautiful views of the sea. The communal table in the middle of the bar encourages people to sit down and talk, which goes well with the casual, nautical atmosphere.
Bar Spirit Forward, Bengaluru
Bar Spirit Forward maintains a low-key, adult-oriented vibe on Lavelle Road, where the majority of establishments also serve as breweries. Envision a cocktail theater with leather chairs, a chrome bar, and smokey glass instead of a beer hall. Designed by Arijit Bose, this is the type of establishment where the bartenders can juggle sixty traditional cocktails with ease and spin citrus into glasses like a ballet. Bar Spirit Forward, located in Bangalore, takes its cues from the Japanese omakase method of service and centres on a lengthy, elegant bar made of teak wood and granite, where customers may relax and chat with the bartenders. From the upscale food and drink selection to the wall art, there's a lot to discover here. Sip your drink while striking up a discussion!