Conditions outside are wet and windy, but as we step through the doors of Brookvale’s newest bar we are overcome with a sense of warmth – not only from the cosy, candlelit interior, but from the delicious spicy scents coming from the kitchen.
Bazaar & Bar is a new offering in Brookvale’s heart. While it is surrounded by breweries, this special gem is a wine bar, complete with an authentic Indian menu which allows you to enjoy a snack, share-plate or full-blown meal.
Perfect for a date or a casual catch-up with friends or family, the bar is bustling on the evening we visit, with many dressed in Manly Warringah Sea Eagles gear – the result of a home-game being played at Brookvale Oval.
The bar is exactly as owner Kabir Arora imagined. “We’re not trying to reinvent Indian food,” Kabir explains. “We’re showcasing it in a settling people might not expect. Think Indian flavours, local produce and a glass of great wine.”
A peruse of the drinks menu has us exploring a curated selection of Australian wines, and a cocktail list of inventive drinks with a distinctive Indian twist. The garam masala negroni is easy to drink with a warm, spicy flavour. Featuring a base of Manly Spirits gin, masala vermouth and bitters, the drink surprises with an ice cube featuring a spice, adding a special element to the palate.
“We’re trying to introduce Indian flavours very subtly into things that aren’t Indian, so as to give the right amount of adventure,” Kabir explains.
Clam cutlets with schezwan chutney accompany our drinks, and they are delicious. With a crispy outer crust and a flavoursome centre, the cutlets are a great starter. Head chef Adwait Jagtap grew up eating clam cutlets in regional India, and brings to the menu what he describes as ‘food with a soul.’
On the waiter’s advice, we try the fish collar next, alongside the champaran mutton (slow-cooked goat). The fish collar is fresh and zesty, crusted in semolina, recheado spice and lime, and is an example of a traditional favourite transformed into a contemporary style dish. The mutton is slow cooked and melts in the mouth with garlic and warming spices.
We finish with a carrot pudding, alongside a rice pudding crème brûlèe, and leave the bar feeling like we have been on a foodie adventure – right in the heart of Brookvale.
Bazaar & Bar
10 Orchard Road, Brookvale
9131 2071 | bazaarandbar.com
