A new bar in Lower Parel promises to serve you “just one more drink” at the end of the night

Back at my table, more cocktails await me. To my surprise, they are all crystal clear. No popping a bubble before you sip, no smoky cauldron effect, no edible flowers you aren’t sure about actually eating. Just pure flavours ready to be enjoyed without any pomp. The cocktail menu is similarly fuss-free, built entirely around clarified drinks, lead mixologist Prithvi Agarwal tells me. For whisky lovers, there is a milk-clarified whisky, where the sweetness of mango and peach meets the tang of kaffir lime and the umami of matcha. Mezcal takes a bold turn here, served with a rim of celery salt and a dash of olive brine, adding a savoury twist to every sip.

Sitting down with Nikita Shahri, Director & Founder, Chrome Hospitality, we bond over our shared love for Barcelona’s unique bar culture, where the drinks take centre stage and food is an afterthought. “That’s what inspired the design of Late Checkout,” she says. “We’ve intentionally crafted the tables to be smaller so the limited space encourages our guests to savour their drinks and order more small plates. We want to extend their bar time, make the space feel more bar-driven than restaurant-centric.” Shahri laughs, recalling how she spent her time in Barcelona bar-hopping with a measuring tape, jotting down every detail that inspired her. “My husband would distract the bartenders while I snuck in measurements of everything from window frames to bar counters just so I could bring a little slice of that charm back home.”