Restaurant India News: World’s No. 3 Bar ‘Sips’ Lands in Mumbai for a One-Night Takeover at The Scarlett House

Mumbai’s hospitality and cocktail scene will see an international collaboration on 8 March as The Scarlett House hosts a one-night bar takeover by Sips, the Barcelona-based cocktail bar currently ranked No. 3 on The World's 50 Best Bars.

The event is being organised in partnership with The Experience India, a Mumbai-based platform focused on experiential travel and curated cultural events. The collaboration brings global bar talent to India while integrating international bar concepts with local hospitality spaces.

The evening will feature Simone Caporale, co-founder of Sips and a well-known figure in contemporary mixology, behind the bar at The Scarlett House. Caporale previously built his reputation at Artesian before launching Sips with Marc Alvarez. The collaboration represents a direct showcase of Sips’ bar philosophy and cocktail programme in Mumbai.

Sips operates on a service-led approach that focuses on accessibility and simplicity in cocktail presentation. The concept avoids elaborate service rituals and instead emphasises flavour, interaction and guest comfort as part of the drinking experience.

“We wanted to create a place where the guest feels free — free to ask, free to explore, free to enjoy without needing permission,” says Simone Caporale. “Sips is about hospitality first. The cocktail is simply the medium.”

Sips currently holds the No. 3 ranking on The World’s 50 Best Bars list, an industry ranking decided by an international voting academy of more than 650 hospitality experts. The Mumbai collaboration offers local guests a direct experience of the bar’s cocktail programme without altering its original format.

According to Fay Barretto, who leads the beverage programme at The Scarlett House, the collaboration reflects an exchange of hospitality ideas rather than a showcase event. “For us, this isn’t about importing a ‘World’s 50 Best’ moment,” says Fay Barretto. “It’s about exchanging energy. Simone represents a shift in global bar culture — where ego steps aside and hospitality leads. That resonates deeply with how we build our bar at Scarlett. We want guests to feel seen, comfortable, curious. This collaboration feels like a natural conversation.”

The cocktail selection confirmed for the takeover includes Toreador, Espresso on Steroids and Tommy’s. The drinks will be prepared and served by Caporale during the evening.

The event is supported by U’Luvka Vodka, a vodka brand produced in Poland using locally sourced grains and aquifer water. The spirit is distilled and filtered using methods intended to retain flavour complexity rather than produce a completely neutral profile.

Pritish Matai, CEO, Aspri Spirits, said, "We are delighted to partner with Sips and Scarlett House. This association reflects our shared commitment to delivering exceptional experiences, and we look forward to nurturing this collaboration into a strong and enduring relationship in the years ahead. Each drink will be personally crafted and served by Simone Caporale, offering Mumbai a rare, unfiltered glimpse into one of the world’s most influential bar philosophies. The evening is proudly supported by U’Luvka Vodka, whose own legacy of craftsmanship mirrors the precision and quiet complexity that define Sips. Centuries ago, in the royal courts of Poland, the alchemist Sendivogius crafted a spirit worthy of kings, pure, harmonious, and potent enough to be hailed as a royal elixir."

For The Scarlett House, the takeover is part of a broader programming strategy focused on international hospitality collaborations. The venue plans to continue hosting global chefs, bars and creative professionals as part of its experiential calendar in Mumbai. The event also reflects a wider trend in India’s hospitality industry, where restaurants and bars increasingly host international guest takeovers to bring global culinary and cocktail concepts to local audiences while strengthening experiential dining formats.