Bar and Deck at the Bayleaf

Serious gentleman’s club vibes

Happy hour: 5.00 p.m. – 8.00 p.m. | Buy one Get one free (selected cocktails and beverages)

Bayleaf’s hidden gem is their Bar and Deck. You not only get some serious gentleman’s club vibes, as you enter, but you know you’re entering sophistication. They’ve perfectly managed a beautiful small space, decked the floors with wood like the rest of the restaurant and positioned a 3D geometrically illusionist wall to your left as you enter. The beautifully thought out gold wall, the minimal overhead lighting at the top of the bar, the cigar lounge chairs around the room and the spectacular deck with high stools and breezy winds really makes it such a treasure.

A peculiar amusement about the Bayleaf is its themed rooms, and with this one, they really seemed to have taken it up a notch. They’ve had the bar here for over 10 years, but now they’ve beautifully refurbished it and added a deck outside to make an exclusive.

Drinks

Lychee Martini – Rs. 800

The Lychee Martini is a mix of vodka, triple sec extra dry and lychees. This drink is one reason why I’ve always loved the place. From the extra juicy Lychee garnish to the strong hints of triple sec through the vodka, this drink is the perfect thing to have after a tough Monday.

Strawberry Margarita – Rs. 850

We opted for the Strawberry Margarita and were extremely pleased with our choice. You can either pick the classic Blue Margarita, strawberry or Passion. The alcohol really cut through and the crystals around the rim of the glass gave it 10/10 for a great take on a classic. If you aren’t a big strawberry fan, then I don’t think you’d enjoy this drink as much as you should though.

Passionfruit Mojito – Rs. 875

Their bartender’s got some serious skills man. That Passionfruit Mojito was hands down one of the best I’ve had in a long time. The drink was adequately pulpy and liquid-y. The pulp held onto the good stuff: the alcohol.

Chocolate Martini – Rs. 800

The Chocolate Martini is a new cocktail in their menu and something they’d like to call a “dessert cocktail”. End your meal with a mix of chocolate and alcohol, because, why not. The only thing dreading about it was the chocolate sauce on the outer surface of the glass, solely as a presentation asset that made it almost impossible  hold onto the glass without making your hands dirty . If you don’t like alcohol in your chocolate, then this isn’t for you. This is for the adventurous ones!

Tapas

Salmon Roulade – Rs. 1050

The Salmon Roulade was perfect. A beautifully placed miniature slice of fresh, smoked salmon with a slice of pickle and a mini slice of black olive topped delicately one on top of the other. At the Bar and Deck, you certainly see that the kitchen pays special attention to the presentation of their dishes. All our tapas were so neatly arranged and aligned. The salmon was fresh and smoked, a rare delicacy.

Prawn Cocktail Canopy – Rs.900

You know you’re at a high end bar when they serve you tapas that are too pretty to eat. The prawns were coated with a thick batter and fried till golden brown. They were placed on small slice of baguette and topped with some taste amplifying hot sauce. The dish was accompanied with a great coleslaw salad, because being healthy is a constant reminder.

Coconut Crumb Prawn – Rs. 1170

The Coconut Crumb Prawn  was so beautifully aligned on a clay, charcoal dish. There was a generous portion of coconut crumb prawn on skewers, and accompanied with some deliciously fried parsley and a creamy mayo. It’s so much fun to see how something of authentic produce like coconut can yield such great dishes. The coconut coating on the prawn added some a great texture and layer to the prawns, and was something innovative and fun.

Baby Lobster on toast – Rs. 1170

The lobster toasts were about 6 small baguette slice topped with two small lobster tails and a generous chunk of guac on top. The guac here needs some special mention as it emerged the true star of the dish. This, was while in competition with the tender, succulent lobster. If this doesn’t give you an idea of how great the guac was, I don’t know what will. We wished we got more for the price though, but we aren’t really complaining.

Tandoori Chicken on crispy bread – Rs. 840

The Tandoori Chicken on crispy bread was yet again, another dish too pretty to consume. The tender tandoori cubes were lined over a nacho looking cracker naan and topped with a raita based vegetable salad. The fact that North Indian cuisine was so greatly expressed in this dish gives it its honorary mention.

They’ve got some great rock music keeping you on your feet on the weekdays and during the weekends off they have a DJ that turns the Bar and Deck into an instant club. The beautiful outdoor is perfect if you feel like having a cigar (notice the attempt at trying to be fancy); you can bask outside on their beautiful deck and have a Cuban cigar to your whim and fancy.  

Their service is on the good end too, the waiters are super prompt and helpful. The few dishes that we tried were ones that we just inaugurated into their menu. The waiters would always take their time to come to your table and explain to you what each dish is and why its special if you find yourself overwhelmed and flustered to make a choice. They would come bacm timely and check up on your dishes too. Great service!

Have you been to the Bar and Deck at the Bayleaf yet? Let us know what you think of it in the comments below! Is there anything we’ve missed?

Tip: The Coconut Prawns are a great deal for your money!