Lips that touch liquor shall not touch ours!

Step into Distillery, the three-floor restaurant in Sector 29, Gurugram to get hauled back to the Prohibition Era of the 1920s when the “Noble Experiment” of banning liquor sparked off by the 18th amendment led to the rise of Speak Easies, a hike in crime rates and the rise of gangsters like Al Capone who made millions of dollars through their bootleg operations.

Strumming the vibe of the roaring 20s in the USA, Distillery creates the hallucination of that bygone era. You can visualise tantalizing spirits, cigars and pretty damsels clinking dainty glasses with the mafia. The vast space of the restaurant beckons you to let your hair down and revel in its fun spirit. There’s a class in its designing. Black and white flooring, the ceiling-to-floor bar and the simple layout with high stools, red and black spacious seaters and wooden tables exhibit elegance and intimate setting. Using their in-house secret ingredients an extraordinary cocktail menu has been created. Distillery promises a night replete with delicious food, foot-tapping music and mesmerising concoctions.

Since the time he was the chef de partie in Taj Palace, Chef Anas Qureshi has come a long way. Not only is he au fait about Indian cuisine but is highly skilled in modern European cuisine too. As a brand chef at Distillery, he adds a punch of razzmatazz and dramatic flair in the presentation of the dishes. “When New York Got burned” is a spicy, sweet chilly, tangy tandoori assorted fruit and sweet potato chaat. When flambéed with Sambuca, the burst of flames creates a theatrical culinary illusion of the Great Fire of New York, except when it settles down the anise-flavoured drink leaves behind the faint flavour of the liqueur making the dish absolutely scrumptious.

The team has curated and carefully compiled an avante-garde menu keeping in mind the taste buds of all age groups and catering to every mood. Delectable delicacies are part of their menu. The “Breaking Bread” is an assortment of Indian bread turned thin and crisp and served with four interesting relishes like Gurkha dip, Achari sour cream, salsa and pickled ber. The conventional onion rings get a makeover when they are coated with vada batter and deep-fried. These “Mendu vada onion rings” hang from a tree-shaped mould and make perfect starters.

Tender, juicy dim sum is presented naked – without any skin on the outside. Enjoy the Thai flavours with the Thai Basil Chicken dim sum in which chicken is infused with kafir lime. The dim sum is delicately placed on a bed of Thai red curry and served. Spicy salmon uramaki with asparagus and cured cucumber is topped up with spicy sriracha mayo for those who have cravings for some Japanese.

Like something tangy? Order the Prohibited Gully Pakoda chaat which is a plate full of crisp besan pakodas on top up with mango yoghurt tamarind reduction and crisps. You can accompany these dishes with their wide collection of premium scotch, whiskeys, martinis, wines and champagnes.

Save the best for last! Try the International Halwai Dessert – a hybrid of the French dessert and our desi mithai. With smoke emanating from all sides, the dessert arrives at the table. Showered with rose petals and sandwiched between layers of kalakand is Nutella mousse – all decadent and divine, a mascot of nu age indo-fusion desserts.

When the 999.9 fine gold brick is placed on the table be warned, you maybe be tempted to put it in your handbag instantly. It looks so real. The
24-carat edible gold brick with the flavour of mango is the most luxurious dessert you will ever be served from the house of gangsters.

Distillery may transcend you to a magical era of the 1920s but it is the party hub for the millennials. Groovy music, fine cocktails, good food and theatrical fun beckon the guests to its door again and again. Go there for an experience and enjoy this stunning restaurant where the efforts of the great team have gone in to take you back to the bygone era.