Bacon Doughnuts And Baby Prawn Cups: This Bar Doesn't Treat Food Like An Afterthought

LIT Bar & Ristorante, a spanking new addition to GK II’s low-key bar cluster, pairs its painstakingly-prepped cocktails with food that’s as unorthodox as it is delightful.

I went to sip away {with my finest connoisseur face on} at a selection of liquor-laced concoctions {which to my curated by an enthusiastic and chipper bartender but found myself paying far more attention the tiny trays of amuse-bouches that were brought in well-timed succession.

A cheery, non-pretentious chef served us a series of delicious little canapes, with anecdotes and bits of information about them that were anything but pedantic {as many a chef has a tendency to be}. In fact, he brushed off one of the most interesting things I’ve ever eaten {little, bacon-in-a-rich-cream-sauce-filled doughnuts} as ‘something he tried, that turned out nicely.’ And since I’ve always believed modesty is the perfect side-salad to a delectable tasting platter, I ardently agreed.

Other things that stood were these piquant mozzarella balls {topped with neat, tiny squares of a clear apple jelly, squatting contently on a smear of beetroot puree} and giant prawns served in mini-cups {and basted with herbs and a succulent marinade}. The entrées, as stand-alones would’ve been delightful, but the hor d’oeuvres were a hard act to follow. Of the ones I tried, the mushroom risotto {made with the right Italian rice; a rarity in the city} made it’s presence felt; and as a widely established ‘Meat first, always‘ kind of person, that’s legitimately saying something.

The dessert {I’m Punjabi; we just don’t go home without it}, was a decadent, lava-cake reminiscent dome that had more finesse than other, more pedestrian versions that fall under that moniker. A firm poke with a spoon broke a taut, thin layer of cake and a chocolate wave of almost Dairy-Milk commercial proportions gushed out, unfettered. In millennial speak, it was an Instagram story waiting to happen.

Lastly, it seems unfair to not give that memorably exuberant bartender his due. He mixed up a surfeit of cocktails ranging in creativity, from a simple {but delicious} berry blend, to a half-and-half Kiwi and Pineapple cocktail, the warring factions of which were held apart in a martini glass by a giant wedge of pineapple. Though I couldn’t actually finish most of this jolly booze-soldier’s experiments, it did make me want to come back and try to.

The cocktails are refreshingly thought-out, but the food {the appetiser selection, to be specific} is the real dark horse at LIT Bar & Ristorante.