Chef Anil J Nair Leads Food Programme at Rohit Barker’s Bahati

Rohit Barker has introduced Bahati, a restaurant, bar and lounge in Bengaluru overlooking Cubbon Park, UB City and Vidhana Soudha. The venue combines dining, cocktails and music, with a format designed to serve daytime restaurant customers and evening nightlife audiences.

The interiors use a mix of deep reds, burnt oranges, earthy tones, stone, glass, metal and foliage-inspired textures. Glass shutters open the space towards the city during the day, while lighting and music shape the atmosphere in the evening. Different seating areas cater to quieter conversations as well as social gatherings.

Barker, who began his career as a radio jockey on India’s first private FM station before becoming a Channel V VJ, has spent decades working in music and nightlife. Bahati draws on that experience to create a venue where music and dining form part of the same offering.

Rohit Barker, co-founder of Bahati, said, “After almost three decades of being around music, nightlife and people, I’ve realised that the best nights are the ones you can’t quite plan. You can set the scene, choose the music and get the food right, but it’s the people who give a place its energy. That’s really what I wanted Bahati to be a space with its own character, but one that changes with the people who walk through the door.”

The food programme is led by Chef Anil J Nair, whose experience includes working with Chef Manu Chandra at Lupa and Michelin-starred culinary talent. The menu combines Indian cooking, street food and international influences, with dishes including Tandoori Pineapple with black olive murabba and feta mousse, Ghee Roast Chicken Golgappa, Mutton Dosa and Lobster à la Sigiri.

Main courses include Duck Mapas, Smoked Butter Chicken served with Malaysian roti jala, Sea Bass Pollichathu with pearl couscous and Bahati Mutton Biryani. The menu uses familiar ingredients and dishes alongside different techniques and combinations.

Chef Anil J Nair said, “For me, it starts with the ingredient. I like to understand what it can do before deciding where the dish should go. I work with different techniques, textures and flavours along the way, and sometimes the most interesting combinations come from putting things together that you wouldn’t normally see on the same plate. I’m not trying to change a dish completely; I’m looking for that point where it still feels familiar, but gives you something you didn’t expect.”

Bahati’s beverage programme includes house cocktails that combine Indian ingredients with international influences. Options include Chui, made with tequila reposado, mezcal, charred pineapple, Kanthari and lime; Fahari, which combines whisky, dates, jaggery, cold brew, chocolate and Parmesan foam; and Dhahabu, made with aged rum, mango, passion fruit, saffron, vanilla and coconut.

The cocktail list also features Mediterranean and London dry gin, Cognac, Scotch whisky and flavoured vodka combinations. A separate menu covers classic cocktails across pre-Prohibition, Prohibition and contemporary categories, including the Old Fashioned, Manhattan, Negroni, Penicillin, Paloma and Espresso Martini. Non-alcoholic options include Virgin Mango Picante, Madras Spritz and Thai Lemonade.

Bahati brings food, cocktails and music together in a single venue, with its offering aimed at customers looking for both restaurant dining and a longer evening social experience.