For the arty gastronomes: This new cocktail bar in Bandra features artistic décor and flavourful delights

A revolving Paloma Man with an agave hairdo greets us at the entrance A cheetah wall mural by artist Zabiya lurks in the al fresco section lined by chic decor Past the revolving blue door we step in and take a few seconds to soak in an agaveinspired motion chandelier designed by Goan artist Siddharth Kerkar Kitschy lamps and artefacts in every corner cat sculptures sit beside bottles at the ambientlylit bar A wooden staircase curves up to a private dining room and kitchenCheese cake swirl and CalienteDesigned by architect Sumesh Menon House of Paloma in Bandra screams art collectorrsquos room mdash expressive in decor and inviting at the same time The 85seater spread across 2900 sq ft is owned by trio of Bengalurubased friends Prathik Shetty Chethan Hegde and Samarth Halli who own a few outlets of 1522 in Bengaluru and one in MumbaiThe restaurant interiors capture its artistic vibe PicsShadab KhanThe Latininspired bar menu has four sections mdash Sazon bold spicy daring flavours Altas highballs Directo spirit forward drinks and Delicato sour and fruity Our day drinking commences with head mixologist M Sunil Prathab leading the recommendations No prize for guessing the first pick is the namesake a paloma It arrives in two versions First a welcome jelly bite coated with thyme dust We pop it into our mouths and let the flavours unfold We get the grapefruit jelly a burst of spirit and the thyme dust gives a savoury popPaloma 1950 and Pisco DiscoThen follows Paloma 1950 Rs 750 made of an inhouse grapefruit cordial fizz and Mexican tajin dust that gives us a headspin We like the sweetcitrus balance itrsquos a classic well tweaked Caliente Rs 950 is a picante drop with tequila green apple dill inhouse vanilla spices cordial that canoodles the Naga chilli kick A green apple salad on the side offers an additional habanero kick The sweetness is just right to allow the chilli to heat up the palate without flashing a flame Pisco Disco Rs 850 has the tang of passion fruit interspersed with pisco grape brandy with a vegetal finish of carom seeds ajwain tincture A pretty looking cocktail with beetroot dust spinach dust itrsquos a tropical sip with layering of flavoursMiso Wasabi Broccoli and Deviled Heart with NigiriRed Room Rs 950 is a refined treat of cacao nib fat washed gin Ross Campari coffee bitters with an inhouse chocolate bark resting on the glass rim This negroni is enjoyable on the palate and hides its spirit strength well Sip slowly Shetty who joins us for a bit shares how his travel bug inspired the art at this venue ldquoI love art and a lot of the inspiration for the space is from my travels across Spain Mexico and Latin American countries Peru Chile and Brazil House of Paloma is designed as a visual treat that brings you back for its cocktails and foodrdquo he saysHead chef Pranay Shindey who has had earlier stints at Masque Indigo and The Clearing House breaks our liquid diet with his expansive style of cooking mdash an Indianness with global umami We begin with a Butter Kori Roti Rs 450 creamy with a sharp smokiness of tender meat The Garlic Toasties Rs 370 come on a garlic focaccia served with a creamy garlic cheese pacircte dressing Itrsquos bland and needs a liftThe Raw Mango Avocado Salad Rs 395 has pudina green chutney with arugula raw mango dried coconut slivers and fried onion Itrsquos wholesome and robust in flavours We cut a slice of a Hamachi Crudo Rs 475 Hamachi a raw yellowtail fish carpaccio dressed in citrusy coconut marinade with an extra tang from orange and kokum gelThe flavours in the drinks and food are balanced and mindfully donrsquot make unnecessarily sweet or tangy diversions We pair this Asian tasting with Deviled Heart with Nigiri R450 which has a dollop of creamy egg tartare with spicy tuna and tobiko fish roe We will return for Miso Wasabi Broccoli Rs 395 mdash a Hibachicharred broccoli on a luscious bed of cauliflower mash The dish is dressed in a spicy red crispy chilli oil rendition and cooked in misowasabi that unfurls like a best supporting actorOur last bite is the Cheesecake Swirl Rs 395 in semi liquid form in a pink crisp cone with a filling of macerated berries It is foamy on the palate and could have set a little more in the fridge If we wore a hat wersquod have tipped it to the Paloma Man on our way outHouse of PalomaOpens September 7Time 530 pm to 130 amAT Number 545 Ground Floor Excel Entertainment 33rd Road Linking Road Bandra WestCall 9892632572