Adding opulence and splendour to the city that loves its craft food and drinks, is Roxie, touted to be India's first and largest craft house. Roxie is tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the infamous Bellandur-Sarjapur traffic in a 35,000 square feet palatial mansion spread across three floors—the Italian-themed craft house raises the bar with its setting. Think high ceilings, towering greens, European balconies, open courtyards, plush seating, and colonial decor elements (yes, you'll find statues). The first floor is where the Roxie showcases its craft house credentials—16 craft beers from the likes of Toit, Geist, and Bira, and 16 artisanal cocktails.
Since we were at the bar down on the ground floor, we started with one of the artisanal cocktails, Camomillia, a gin-based drink with chamomile and notes of basil, mint, and lime. Potent and definitely set the mood for the evening. First to arrive at the table were the Chicken Larb Gai and Korean Garlic Bread. The pull-apart brioche bun was filled with cream cheese and garlic butter, and honestly, we could have ordered another one (or two to the table). The bread was the freshest we've had in recent times. The larb gai is subtle in flavour and makes for good finger food.
After Thai and Korean, we chose something closer home, and because we couldn't get enough of the bread, an Oven Baked Vada Pav was ordered. And it was comfort food at its best. While we waited for the mains, we tried The Solution, a tequila-based spicy drink with notes of jalapenos, thyme, and passion fruit—picked up the pace. The teetotaler in the duo went for a cucumber-basil kombucha.
For mains, a trip to Italy was on the cards with Nona's Handmade Tortellini, which features a spinach-artichoke and three cheese filling and a creamy nutty saffron sauce and then back to coastal India for the Madras Curry Prawn Pil Pil—Roxie's take on the traditional Spanish dish with homemade curry powder, and Salem chillis. We couldn't get enough of that beautiful broth, which is dutifully wiped clean with the pav that was served alongside.