When you enter a bar in Delhi NCR or Gurgaon to be specific, you have this image in your head where it is a crammed place with loud music. Of course, such places are great for having parties but sometimes you need a luxury experience to unwind from the stress of the entire day. Reflex Bar Brewery and Dining in Gurugram is just that and more. The interiors of the place are extremely beautiful, with a focus on wooden finish and mirrors all over the place which makes the place look spacious. Once you enter reflex, it feels like you have been transported to a place somewhere in Europe, considering the extensively stacked up bar and the brewery. The menu spoils you for choice as it has everything from Indian to Mediterranean to Italian and Chinese.
We visited Reflex during the evening and we watched the place transform from a quiet dining place to a happening party spot as the night became older. Known for its beer and signature cocktails by Yangdup Lama, the only Indian to feature on the 2020 Bar World list of 100 most influential people, Reflex delivers on the food front as well. We started with the Rosemary Grilled Chicken, which was perfectly cooked. Next on the list was fish paturi, which is basically fish steamed in leaves. It is an authentic Bengali dish and was my personal favourite of the evening.
We were soon joined by Suman Bharti, Founder of Reflex Bar Brewery and Dining, who suggested that we try their best seller – the tandoori platter and his personal favourites, the chicken chilli oil dimsums and their signature three flavoured chicken tart. The Tandoori platter had everything you look forward to in one – fish tikka to malai chicken tikka and mutton seekh. The kasundi and chutney it came with complimented the dishes very well. The 3 flavoured chicken tart is a must try, with my favourite filling being the barbeque one. Dimsums is the place’s signature preparation and I was blown away by how flavourful the chilli oil was and how juicy the filling was. The chilli oil dimsums were surely my second favourite pick of the evening after the fish paturi. We also tried their Mediterranean veg platter, which had 3 different flavours of hummus and pita bread.
When talking about Reflex, the one thing you cannot miss is their beer and signature cocktails. We tasted all of their freshly brewed craft beers and loved all of them, but the Belgian Strong Ale just left its unique impression. From their signature cocktails, we ordered pasha passion, mint julep and hi-thai. Pasha passion is one of their best-selling cocktails and after tasting it, I could tell why. The flavours of bell-pepper and passion fruit merge together to give a uniquely good taste. And if you are looking to experiment with your cocktail, then hi-thai is a must try. The mint julep was refreshing as it should be. Overall, the bar menu lived up to our expectations.
For the dessert, we had the most chocolaty and gooey brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream. After eating everything that we had, we still want to order a second serving of the brownie and that does say something about its taste.
While eating and enjoying ourselves to the tastefully curated jazz playlist, we got into a conversation with Suman Bharti. Here is an excerpt from our talks.
How do you see the beer scene in India moving forward? What do you think are the key trends?
The craft beer market has grown by 20–30% annually. The beer market in India is currently expanding significantly; as a result of the adoption of ideas and technologies from markets like America and Europe.
Commercial beer that is mass-produced no longer meets consumer demand. Reputed craft brewery brands progressed from producing standard beers to innovatively flavored strong-lager, Vienna lager, Neipa beers. Craft beer sales have significantly increased in India in recent years and also the beer drinkers have evolved over the years. India's alcohol market is one of the largest in the world overall. This amazing shift set the path for the development of craft beer in the nation.
Several beer trends that the brewing industry might see are as follows:
1. Compact microbrewing's emergence: Moving on to the setup, a compact or micro vat set up is made to stack exactly behind the taproom's bar. It makes brewing simple and available.
2. Contactless Taprooms: Brewers operating taprooms had to adjust to the new climate after the epidemic by providing contactless hospitality, payment machines, and menus to make sure their consumers were secure and satisfied.
3. Innovation in beer production: Enthusiastic beer drinkers are constantly searching for new flavors and experiences for various occasions. Breweries must continually assess client expectations in order to provide for them appropriately. Hops are used in the production of more beers today to counteract the sweetness and assist create the ideal bitterness. It plays a significant role in the flavor and aroma of the beer as well.
4. Lifestyle beer: As more consumers choose beers with less residual sugar, low-carb beer will continue to rise rapidly. Basically, low-carb beers are a terrific choice for the health-conscious crowd because they have fewer carbohydrates and, purportedly, no bad beer stomach.
The aesthetics of the place are phenomenal. So, do you believe that the ambience is as important as the food in terms of overall experience?
Yes! Ambience and Food both complement each other if done right. To start with, I went to Geneva in 2004 and I first tried craft beer when I went to a brewery called Les Brasseurs there. While sipping my craft beer at this laid-back brewery listening to good music, I was admiring the stunning setup of the brewery serving best-in-class craft beer. The concept of an opulent brewery lounge got stuck in my head ever since. I was actually motivated by that to open my own brewery. After 18 years of aspiration, I finally started Reflex Bar Brewery and Dining- my dream project.
Reflex Bar Brewery and Dining offers cutting-edge immersive ambience with chic decor, wooden flooring through-out and 30 foot high ceiling with royal chandeliers and a 15 ft tall LED screen. It is a massive entertainment super-club that opens a high-energy doorway into a world of bespoke experiences. The charming ultra-new, uber-luxe lifestyle club is situated at an upcoming commercial hub of the busy Golf Course Extension road in Gurgaon.
Reflex is all about customer experience, the menu is curated in such a way that it caters to the popular palettes which includes multi-cuisine food ranging from Indian, European, Middle Eastern and more. Reflex offers signature beers on tap ranging from malty brown lager, Belgian ale, German wheat beer, Neipa style beer and so on. Overall at Reflex the experience would be defined as uber-luxe lifestyle party places in Gurgaon.
What are your personal favorites from the food and the bar menu?
When asked about my personal favorites from the food menu then I would recommend the chef's special- Three flavored Chicken Tart which includes homemade crispy tart stuffed with three flavors of Chef’s special chicken. Next up in my list would be our signature dimsums and our non- veg kebab platter which is authentic and is juicy and fresh.
Coming down to the bar menu, I would highly recommend our signature vibrant cocktails by Yangdup Lama. The best seller is the Peru Lanka cocktail and it is one of my personal favorites as well. Its flavor includes tropical essence with a hint of smoky salty aroma.
Reflex's craft beers are driven by creativity, quality, and passion. We believe in using natural ingredients and traditional brewing methods to create unique and flavorful beers that stand out in a highly cluttered market. We are dedicated to constantly innovate the recipes and techniques as we strive for perfection.