Soka occupies just 530 sq ft, and every inch of it is deliberate. The name is a merger of co-founders Chef Sombir and Avinash Kapoli’s surnames, and their travels clearly shaped the brief: an intimate, speakeasy-adjacent room with ceramic lamps, hundreds of diyas, and a bar table fashioned from beaten copper. Tables are booked in two-hour slots starting at 5pm — a deliberate choice to encourage two or three well-made drinks rather than an all-night session. The roughly 15-cocktail menu is technique-forward and tightly edited; the Lady Kutty (whisky, coconut soda) and the gin-forward I Blame Jasmine, carbonated with jasmine cordial, are consistent favourites. On the food side, expect a similarly small, considered menu — pan-seared scallops and Soka fried chicken with raw mango chimichurri among the highlights. Walk in expecting quality over quantity, and you won’t be disappointed.
Address: No. 210, A Cross, 1st Main Road, 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, Bangalore 560071
