Annanas. Fire & Water. Southern Ember. Golden Caravan. Sulainani Highball. At ZLB23, inside The Leela Palace Bengaluru, these aren’t just cocktail names — they’re the highlights of a new menu that focusses on bold flavours, regional ingredients, and clean, balanced technique. The new additions at the Kyoto-inspired speakeasy are the latest expressions of a bar programme that has grown increasingly confident about where it stands — between Japanese precision and an Indian soul.
If earlier menus established ZLB23’s cult signatures like the savoury Shoyu Ramen and the bright Yuzu Picante, this new chapter feels more rooted. There is a deliberate shift towards indigenous spirits, regional spice blends, and produce-led storytelling. Take As It Arrives, the bar’s seasonal tipple, for instance. Its structure remains constant, but the fruit changes with the harvests. The current avatar features fresh strawberries — fragrant and gently tart — layered over a spirit of choice [I tried it with vodka]. Soon, when summer starts, mango will step in; later in the year, there will perhaps be jackfruit as well! It’s simple, flexible, and keeps the menu evolving through the year. The new menu reads like the spice route: Rasam powder, sandalwood vermouth, mahura, saffron, black cardamom — ingredients that are hyperlocal and indigenous, but now they are reinterpreted through contemporary mixology.
Across the menu, flavours move between tropical, savoury, and spice-forward. Annanas blends Camikara Agricole Rum and Meukow Vanilla Liqueur with pineapple, pandan, and almond for a drink that is controlled in its sweetness yet very lush. Fire & Water takes a more savoury turn, pairing Monkey 47 and Malfy Limone with sake vermouth, local chilli pickle brine, and edamame, delivering umami flavours, balanced by citrus brightness and just a tad bit of heat. Harmony combines 1800 Blanco Tequila with ripe guava, guava leaf, and a house-spice blend, striking a smooth balance between fruit and mellow spice.
Blossom, built on Bombay Sapphire, Valley of Roses, layers rose tea, cucumber, pomegranate, and mint for a cocktail that is fresh, lightly floral, and clean on the finish — actually a good one to start the evening with. Southern Ember has more depth with 1800 Blanco Tequila and Creyente Mezcal mixed with tamarind, pineapple, rasam powder, coriander, and curry-leaf salt — smoky, tangy, and distinctly spice-led; it even comes with a crisp appalam as a garnish. Golden Caravan highlights Six Brothers Mahura for an indigenous highball infused with saffron, black cardamom, nutmeg, and agave, making it warm and aromatic. Sulaimani Highball is crisp and subtly spiced, combining The Glenlivet Caribbean Reserve with Sulaimani tea, sandalwood vermouth, and bitters, lifted with some refreshing CO₂ fizz.
The food programme has new additions as well. The Tartare and Ceviche section — featuring tuna with apple sriracha, salmon tiradito (fusion dish of Japanese sashimi and Peruvian ceviche) with leche de tigre (Peruvian citrus marinade), and Japanese Hamachi carpaccio with matcha salt — balances acidity with clean flavours that complement the brighter cocktails. Smoked plates such as hickory-smoked duck with miso glaze, smoked lamb ribs with mint togarashi (Japanese spice blend), and karaage (deep-fried chicken) with chipotle and jalapeño sauces offer wholesome bites to match the menu’s spice-forward direction.
Along with new additions to ZLB23’s menu to celebrate its three glorious years, there’s also a brand new space within this speakeasy bar. The Theatre is a private bar offering a more intimate and immersive experience. Think theatre-style velvet drapes, plush seating for 7-10 guests, nibbles like popcorn and other crunchy-munchies on the side. The performance here features an interactive mixologist, who takes you on an immersive cocktail journey that’s literally backed by a movie — it’s a well-designed format that takes you through four acts, each featuring a cocktail and a story, but the theatrics come from the art of mixology. Yes, I’m deliberately giving away as little as possible because the charm of this one is the uniqueness of it that you have to experience for yourself.
ZLB23’s new chapter is not about dramatic reinvention. Instead, it refines what the bar already does well: Balancing Japanese technique with Indian ingredients in a way that feels flavour-driven and quietly confident.