RAISE A TOAST
Rumbah at the Ritz Carlton Bangalore is where strangers become friends
Bangalore’s newest watering hole
The name Rumbah rolls easily off the tongue, evoking Afro-Caribbean hipswaying, the memory of plantation slaves fermenting molasses from sugarcane to invent rum, and rolling waves that carried pirate ships and sailors. In a city better known for tech and beer, Rumbah at the Ritz Carlton is a modern exploration of that timeless spirit. For those who want to sample rums from afar, there’s Kraken from Trinidad and Tobago, Bacardi Ocha from Puerto Rico, and the highly acclaimed Diplomatico from Venezuela to be had. But the real experimentation is with the mixes, which Rumbah has down to a science and an art. They make in-house bitters with herbs from lavender to eucalyptus and use sous vide—more commonly a cooking technique for meat, to create flavour infusions, including hibiscus, raisins, starfruit, lemons, and berries, in rum. I sipped on a Lavender Delight, a luminescent pink drink garnished with cumin, an aromatic medley of hibiscus sous vide rum, vermouth, lavender bitters and grapefruit tonic water. It was light and crisp as my friend’s was deep and rich. Evening Cup combined dark rum, cognac, vanilla-infused rum, milk, maple syrup, cacao bitters and nutmeg; the promise of a good night’s sleep. We paired our drinks with Jamaican jerk prawns with grilled pineapple and Mangalorean rawa fried fish. We ended with Smoke Me Up, a concoction of gold rum, ginger-honey, lime juice, smoked spice-infused rum that left us warm and elated. Where The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore; Meal for two `5,000 for two; Reservations +91 80 49148000