Bandra has a new cocktail bar, and it comes with a pedigree. Punchline is the latest from the team behind Barbet & Pals co-founders Jeet Rana and Chirag Pal this time are joined by Chef Amninder Sandhu on the food menu, which opened in Bandra. The name comes from the actual origin of the word “punch”, believed to derive from the Hindi word paanch, meaning five, referring to the five ingredients that go into one: spirit, citrus, sugar, spice, and dilution. That idea isn’t just a fun fact printed on the menu; it’s the actual logic behind every drink here, whether it’s poured into an individual glass or a shared punch bowl in the middle of the table. The result is a bar that feels built for groups, not solo visits.
Here’s Our Full Review Of The New Bandra Cocktail-Forward Bar, Punchline!
The Space
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Punchline plays a trick on you before you’ve even opened the menu. You walk into what looks like a tiny room and then it opens up. The lighting stays low, the music stays loud, and somewhere between your second drink and your first bite of arbi, the darkness stops feeling moody and starts feeling like the point. It has the energy of a good house party: a little chaotic, entirely intentional.
The Cocktails
The drinks menu takes some risks, and most of them pay off:
- T-Root Bomb
Sweetness is kept in check here, with candied capers doing most of the flavour work. An unusual combination that genuinely works.
- Punchline Paradise
Cover Image Courtesy: Deeplata Garde
Mango-forward but milk-washed, which keeps the fruit mellow rather than sugary sweet.
- Dirty Little Secret
The most dramatic drink on the list. Perfumy on the nose, a strong grape brine hits on the palate, finished with a fizz that resets your palate for the next sip.
- Salsa Punch
Lives up to its name. Lemon salt and tangy tomato hit you together in the very first sip; there’s no slow build-up.
- Funk You
Smoky tequila with a berry finish that lingers longer than expected.
- Patchouli
The most technical drink on the menu. Burnt honey sweetness meets whisky, with jasmine coming through strongly in both smell and aftertaste, a welcome departure from the usual smoky whisky cocktails.
- Ooze
Strawberry and chrysanthemum flavours come through clearly without overpowering the tequila base.
- Three Much
Cover Image Courtesy: Deeplata Garde
The showstopper. Lemon, cherry, and passionfruit are meant to be drunk in a specific order: the passionfruit bomb and an orange bite go into the lemon shot before you drink it. It’s theatrical, but the sequence genuinely changes how the drink tastes.
- Pop The Cherry
A crowd-pleaser to end on. Pandan, guava, and sour cherry come together sweetly but not overpoweringly, sitting easily in the prettiest glass on the table.
The Food
Chef Amninder Sandhu’s menu doesn’t play it safe, and it doesn’t need to:
- Sweet Potato Fries
Cover Image Courtesy: Deeplata Garde
Crisp and craveable, closer to a snack than anything “healthy”, topped with parmesan. Comes with a whisky ketchup that reportedly takes two days to make, a balanced sour cream and dill dip, and a hot truffle emulsion that brings real heat, not just flavour.
- Saucy Clucker Toast
Flavourful, spicy chicken on sourdough that adds a satisfying crunch to every bite.
- Crispy Arbi
A standout dish and an easy arbi lover’s (me) favourite order. Perfectly cooked and coated in a Mumbai-style chura crumb that turns a simple root vegetable into one of the best things on the menu.
- Too Many Mushrooms
Cover Image Courtesy: Deeplata Garde
Glazed king oyster, fried enoki, and truffle cream sit over a mushroom mash on jalapeño sourdough. A lot is going on, but every element holds its own magic. It’s a mushroom lover’s dream on a plate.
- Broccoli
Deceptively simple-sounding. Comes loaded with aged sherry, caramelised onion foam, khichiya papad, jus-glazed broccoli, a baked mashed potato, gunti aloo, and tomato.
- Naga Pork Belly
The dish is worth booking a table for. Bone marrow custard, pork jus, layered potato and ham, fermented bamboo, and guti potatoes come together around pork that genuinely melts in your mouth. That’s high praise for a dish that could convert even first-time pork eaters.
The Desserts
- Sparkling Mamma
Made for dark chocolate lovers. Brings back 90s nostalgia with popping candy, finished with a drop of candied basil oil at the centre that unexpectedly elevates the entire dessert.
- Iberico Ice-Cream
It’s the bolder choice in the dessert menu, but highly recommended. A ham-mixed ice cream with crispy bacon bits, mango, and a pickled bhavnagari chilli, where the mango quietly balances out the richness of the meat.
Also Read: CT Review: At Delhi’s Barbet & Pals, Every Bird Finds Its Flock, And Its Favourite Cocktail
The Verdict
Punchline isn’t aiming to be quietly good; it wants a reaction, and it earns one. Backed by a genuinely thoughtful cocktail concept and a kitchen unafraid of bone marrow custard or ham ice cream, this is one of Bandra’s most confident new openings in a while. The drinks reward ordering widely; the dishes are worth a repeat visit on their own, and dessert holds its own power instead of being an afterthought. Go hungry, bring people to split plates with, and don’t skip the ice cream.
Cover Image Courtesy: Bhavesh Hagwane
FAQs
Is there vegetarian food on the menu?
Punchline serves a range of vegetarian dishes like crispy arbi, Broccoli, Too Much Mushrooms and more.
Can a non-drinking crowd enjoy at Punchline cocktail bar?
The cocktail-forward bar Punchline also serves many non-alcoholic beverages for teetotallers.
