Fervor Brings French-style Modern European Fare To Bengaluru

We love chatting with chefs because they truly are the life and soul of a restaurant. As we chatted with Chef Aditya Varma at his new restaurant, Fervor, we could see that and more. Fervor is one of those rare places that has made us want to return almost as soon as we can. And here's why. 

As you walk into the 36-seater restaurant, it's the deep green walls and the contrasting pink floor that catch our eye first. And then we soaked in everything else. It's got the makings of a fine dining restaurant without being too pish-posh. 

The chandeliers and vaulted ceiling give the space more character, making it easily blend as a date night space as well as for small or large groups. The night we were here, it was a mix of both. 

If you are dining solo, like we did, then we recommend the bar seating by the open kitchen bar. Here, Chef Aditya is at the pass and will keep you company, and you can watch his team prep and cook everything right in front of you.

Chef Aditya, a host with the most, walked us through the menu that brings modern European fare to your table with all the French flair and techniques. The choice paralysis that one faces with an extensive menu is done away with the crisp line-up of just 19 dishes divided into small plates, shareable, and big plates. Yes, a concise, focused group of dishes that highlight the chef's classical French training and work experience at Michelin-starred restaurants in Toronto, Canada. 

The service starts at 7 PM with the second seating at 9 PM, and we were right in the thick of things when our first plate for the night arrived — a Beet Salad. We told the chef that we were not the biggest fans of beetroot, and the chef nodded, probably because, two minutes later, he knew we'd become fans of this particular style of beets. Cooked in vinegar, the beet has none of that earthy flavour but rather a refined note with some bite. You won't think it's beet, and it's completed with yoghurt, citrus, and crunchy puffed quinoa. 

 While we were trying to elegantly mop the plate clean, some homemade sourdough bread arrived with yeast butter. The aspiring chef in us got excited by the process of how to make yeast butter, which we won't bore you with. All you need to do is ask for more of that butter that's also got caramelised yeast! (It should be illegal to do such fancy things to butter.)

The purpose of the bread and butter was twofold: one to show off the chef's criminally good skills, but also to mop off the ponzu dressing from the Tuna Crudo that was served next. This was the dish that did it for us. We knew we had to go back for more. Who can say no to fatty tuna?

Appetite whetted, and Chef Aditya, who's also quite the Chatty Cathy like us, finished off our next dish, the Parisienne Gnocchi, with some brown butter crumble. Unlike traditional potato-based gnocchi, this one's made with choux pastry, resulting in a much softer bite. Very moreish dish.

And finally, the other dish that we are going back for arrived — the Duck. Perfectly cooked duck served with jus and a side of potato dauphinoise, or layered potato. The dish disappeared faster than it arrived, and the leftover dauphinoise, we doused it with some housemade hot sauce and called it a night.

If it wasn't clear from above, we are going back for more. Chef Aditya has created a space in Kalyan Nagar that would make the rest of Bangalore drop by more than once. Because braving traffic to be here is worth it.

Cost For Two: INR 2,500

Ratings: 4.8/5 on Google

Timings: 7 PM to 11 PM. Closed on Mondays.

Social Handle: @fervorblr