ParTTwo Is Addictive With A Seasonal Menu & Potent Cocktails

As we walked up the staircase that leads to Part Two (stylised ParTTwo), we weren't exactly sure what to expect. The only thing we knew was that Chef Karan Upamanyu is helming the kitchen, and that was enough reason for us to head for a preview. Here's everything that went down at ParTTwo; so much fun, we think this recommendation needs a part two as well.

ParTTwo is located inside The Biere Club on the second floor, and the Lavelle Road location probably has something to do with the interiors. It's got a bit of old Bangalore touch with the woodwork. But it doesn't feel like it's a place for those 55 and above, although there was a group of older ladies making merry when we walked in. Maybe it's the warm lighting, because neither we nor they felt out of place. We love how the warm lighting brings out the brown and green hues of the space.

The open kitchen format is something we love, and here it's Chef Karan's playground. After his decade-long experience at kitchens such as Indian Accent, Tickets in Barcelona, Restaurant Botic in Girona, and Toast & Tonic in Bangalore, it's good to see him outside of his Conservatory era. If you want to get closer to the action, there's a chef's counter too. We sat just one table from there, where we could still see everything.

"You just want to have good food, right?" quips Chef Karan, and we nod enthusiastically, because honestly, that's all we want. The pace at which new places are opening in Bangalore, there's a saturation point when it comes to cuisine and the offerings. "But not here, because I'm just putting together flavours that I like, and I know you'll like them too," says Chef Karan before he goes back to the kitchen to send us some food.

There's no singular concept here when it comes to cuisine, just that there's a seasonally evolving menu, and everything is sessionable small plates, as the chef puts it. First to arrive on the table were Green Peppers, Koji, and Cream Cheese Dip that is served with in-house baguette crostini. If you love ferments, you'll love how the green pepper jam adds such depth to the cream cheese. Crunch arrived in the form of the addictive Mee Krob, a dish with crispy rice vermicelli cubes with cashew nuts and kaffir lime. It's an evolved form of your bar peanuts.

Even though it doesn't call itself a cocktail bar, from the menu, you know they are serious about it. They pick up a lot of GI-tagged Karnataka ingredients to make their drinks. We ordered a Three Citrus Negroni to the table since our plus one for the night is into gin. Without being too citrusy, even though the concoction has Gondhoraj and Coorgi orange-infused gins, it's the kind of drink you can start your night with. Smooth and familiar flavours.

Potato Laab, Charred Bro-Cauli, Gai Yang Wings, Duck Rendang Bites, and Pork Floss Toast came one after the other in quick succession. And at one point, we dropped all our conversations and instead just focused on the food. The Laab was delightful, while the wings were served with a raw mango salad that we couldn't get enough of. Between the rendang bites and toast, we needed another drink to wash it all down. The Malabar Spritz was that drink. Refreshing and hits home with homemade limoncello and ginger beer mix.

Just as we thought we were done, the chef sent out the Crispy Soft Shell Crabs, a DIY plate with bao and crabs. It's then that we decided we needed to break our two-drink rule and order another one. Our plus one described the Bangalore Gibson as a drink that reminded you of your grandma when you were sick. It's got to do with the rasam-like vermouth and the rose onion brine that paired excellently with the gin.

We have our favourite "not a cocktail bar or restaurant" space of the year in ParTTwo. It's time to put more scenes here.

Cost For Two: INR 2,000

Ratings: 4.3/5 on Zomato

Timings: 7 PM to 12 Midnight. Closed on Mondays.

Instagram Handle: @parttwo.blr