Indira Nagar is one place in Bangalore where pubs and restaurants are aplenty ! Adding to the list is ‘1131 Bar & Kitchen‘ – and they are already being looked upon as the new hangout destination in the city ! With 3 levels to their name including an A/C Lounge, a Courtyard, a virtual gaming zone and a Bar that speaks volumes – it is here to stay ! 

Ambience

The open courtyard area, the different seating style, the cozy lounge, the casual decor and the garden wall with the mini fountain area – all adds to the Perfect experience. The lighting is well thought of and suits the theme of the place.

The pathway and staircase leading to the different levels are also not devoid of fun. There are these selfie zones with the entire wall decked up in artwork that make up for perfect instagram pics ! And it’s not just the pathway but also the interiors which have though not the entire wall painted but smaller miniature paintings and graffiti to add to the casual setup.

There is more to this place – gear up for a virtual gaming experience in the indoor A/C Lounge and mind you it can get addicted at times. Best part is they do have combo offers that offers a bit a game and beer time for a fixed price and time – reach out to the restaurant for details as the offers may change from time to time. We got our hands on one of the golf sessions and yeah for a first timer , it was not the best of the days on the field !! 

Bar

It was one of those days, when you are in a new place that’s got some great alcoholic beverages to try to then you have this flu that says don’t even take a sip unless you want to extend the period of illness that you are in. I had to share this dilemma with Mr Balaji who as I call him is my magic mixologist. For those who don’t know – 1131 is part of the ‘House of Commons (HOC)’ restaurant group and Balaji has been instrumental in finalizing cocktails at the HSR outlet of HOC where I have tried some of the best I’ve ever had, so when I see him here in 1131, I am sure he would have magic up his sleeve and so he did. He got me a Hot Special cocktail which was a blend of Dark Rum, Blue Berry Crush, Cinnamon, Cloves, Star Anise, Lemon, Apple Juice and Hot water and he aptly called it as ‘Blue Velvet‘. A little hesitant at first but then the first sip is all I needed and sick or not sick , I think this is a perfect cocktail any day ! Do note that it is not in the menu and it is a hot one and our suggestion to the Bar was to have it included , so lets see – but if you ever need to have this one , just look out for Balaji or any of the bar folks there and it will be on your table.

Already feeling better after having this one, I had to try one of their signature’s which I had been nagging about since the time I saw it in the menu – the Barbados – this one was a blend of white rum, coconut syrup, mint sprigs, lime and coconut water. The overall taste is sweet and mine was no ice one which meant it was soothing. If rum and coconut combo is your thing – do not miss this one ! 

The Bar is a busy place here and is well stocked. Bar counter is set up in the Lounge as well as the Courtyard section

Kitchen

Now to the Kitchen, an equally impressive food menu to choose from. And we were a gang of 5 for tasting the food, so more on the table was expected.

Party Length Nachos :  Definitely party length and Nachos is as always comfort food. Home made Tortillas Chips with Cheddar Cheese , Baked Beans, Salsa, Sour Cream and Guacamole. Enough Nachos for a Party gang of 5 !

American Buffalo Wings :  Tried two variations of this – 

Jamaican Jerk Chicken – Spicy yet juicy. All the right marination and that hint of herb works well. The cook on the outside and the inside is well done as well.

Crispy Garlic Parmesan –  Loaded with Flavours. This wing was succulent and high on taste. Every bite had the flavour. Garlic ups the ante a bit.

Immunity Booster Salad : Yes, you read that right and though it sounds the salad for the health conscious, it’s actually very refreshing ! Pomegranate, Avocado, Baby Spinach, Orange slices with Balsamic Vinaigrette and mixed Lettuce make up the salad. The plate of food is so well presented and is the best way to start a meal !

Prawns in RCP Sauce : Wok tossed prawns with a spicy chilli paste and seasoning. The sauce was hot indeed. The bell peppers, green chilli added all the heat required. Nice, flavorful bite size prawns !

Broccoli & Water Chest-Nuts : Oh my, I loved this one. Broccoli is my favourite any day combining that with water Chestnuts with a nice tangy sauce and a slight pepper seasoning with mild garnish was so good ! Broccoli original texture is retained to the most and that’s what ups the game for me.

Tandoori Bhetki Fish : Bright red coloured Fish arrived on the plate with onions plated on either side. The colour was of the masala layered on top and cooked with as well. Though the fish itself was well cooked, the sauce or the masala layering overpowered the taste of the fish. Asafoetida had a strong influence in taste and because of the big bold flavours, the fish was somewhere lost in taste. Nevertheless a bit of balance and we should be good.

Assorted Dim-Sum Platter : We got to try a platter of the Guang Dong Dim-Sum varieties that were on offer. There was seafood, chicken and vegetable Dimsums along with Bao’s. I’ve usually had DimSums from fast food and QSR places, so this one was a reality check for me. It tasted well and the stuffing was generous. Steamed to perfection and eat.

Pasta – Roma Thyme Farfalle :  Bow Tie Pasta tossed with Roma Tomatoes, Exotic veggies, Basil and topped with Feta Cheese. It all sings well. I always prefer red sauce for my pasta and this one ticked all the right boxes. Feta cheese added the balance that was needed and it was lip smacking good ! The plate selection for the pasta is perfect and full points for the presentation.

Pizza :

Paneer Tikka & Charred Peppers –  It’s usually a 12 inch Pizza but for tasting purposed we opted for the miniature plate size one’s. This one had Tandoori Paneer, Bell Peppers, Onion Roundels, Spring greens and Mint Coulis. Generous toppings, perfect thin crust and crisp, good amount of cheese as well. It’s a Paneer Pizza and Paneer was indeed the hero with good chunks of cottage cheese spread across.

Funghi –  This one was a mushroom pizza with Shitake, Oyster and Button Mushrooms being the hero with shallots, chives, charred peppers and white truffle oil. It probably needed more love and toppings. Thin crust yes, not that crispy as the paneer one.Button mushrooms tasted well, Shitake though I do like them as an appetizer not a fan of them in the pizza. Paneer Pizza scores higher for me.

Flash Flamed Mango & Thai Basil Pannacotta : Desserts time and Pannacotta was first on the hit list. Basil flavoured Pannacotta was mouth-watering. Oat Meal cracker, Brownie gravel and  Butterscotch cream added the crunchy creamy effect !

Tiramisu :  Perfect classic Tiramisu with coffee steeped finger biscuit and amaretto laced mascarpone. There is a fine balance in getting the Tiramisu perfect and they managed it well.  Flavours well-balanced, spoon slides through till the end which means perfect texture and that biscuit is well worth it.

Sizzling 1131 : Another classic dish – chocolate walnut brownie with caramelized walnuts and topped with vanilla ice-cream and of course the sizzling theatre of hot chocolate sauce poured over the brownie. Well that’s the part we missed, spent too much time on taking pics that the hot sauce was no longer hot and we missed the sizzle but what we did not miss was the perfect brownie ! Soft and aerated brownie with those walnuts is party in the mouth.

Service and hospitality are great here. Mr Adarsh  who is the Senior Manager at the House of Commons and Mr Prakash who is the Manager at 1131 ensured all our needs were met. They happily obliged to show us around and explain the overall concept of the place which is excellent. Valet parking is available and pricing is acceptable.