Kai – Bar & Kitchen, isn’t another addition to the city’s endless parade of concept bars. It is, quite deliberately, unclassifiable.
Not just a bar. Not just a restaurant. Not just a lounge. Kai is a provocation, a refusal to be reduced to a single identity. Even its name resists boundaries: in various languages, Kai translates to “restoration,” “food,” and “sea.” Each meaning is true, and none are complete.
“Kai doesn’t dictate who you should be or how you should feel,” say the founders. “It creates a space where you bring your own meaning.”
In an industry drowning in rigid “concepts,” Kai is Bengaluru’s boldest anti-concept concept.
The City at Your Feet
Yes, Bengaluru has rooftops. But it doesn’t have this rooftop. Kai offers a 360-degree uninterrupted panorama of the city, anchored by the rare drama of the historic Army Cantonment unfurling beneath. Heritage greens colliding with urban chaos, Kai’s perch is nothing less than a live metaphor for coexistence. “Very few places in the city can offer such an eye-catching view at this height and vantage point,” the team notes, underselling what is easily one of the most cinematic frames of Bengaluru’s skyline.
Peacock Feathers, Golden Light, and Transforming Spaces
Inside, Maze Concept Design Studio (Koushik B R, Priyanka M C, and Nithya Niranjana) has reimagined Indian palace grandeur through a contemporary lens. The main bar ceiling, inspired by peacock feathers, glows in maroon, copper, and walnut tones, while programmable LED lights allow the space to shift from a tranquil dining cocoon to a lively nightlife playground at the flick of a switch. Symmetry and flow define the layout: semi-outdoor seating connects to the skyline, private dining rooms offer intimacy, and the terrace is a stage for sundowners. Every surface, from marble inlays to custom wallpapers, has been chosen to age gracefully while maintaining visual coherence.
A Menu That Travels the World
Head Chef Virendra Singh Chauhan leads a kitchen that rejects boundaries. Small plates like Edamame with Sichuan pepper, Kyoto Mushrooms with hot coriander sauce, and Spanish Gambas al Ajillo with Cochin prawns coexist with playful fusions such as the Paneer Khurchan Tart glazed with raw mango and mozzarella. Rolls, dim sum, and large plates, Kai Roll, Futomaki Age, Charcoal Chicken & Porcini Dumplings, Porcini Risotto, Green Thai Curry Chicken, Slow Cooked Laal Maas, Malabar Seared Fish, and Lamb Tagine, span continents confidently. Desserts, including Yuzu & Matcha Cheesecake and After Dark chocolate pudding, cap the meal with equal ambition.
Cocktails That Tell a Story
Under Ashish Adhikari, the bar becomes a playground for global flavors. Japanese whiskies like Yamazaki and Hibiki, Indian single malts like Godawan and Paul John, and tequilas from Don Julio 1942 to Camino Blanco sit alongside inventive cocktails. Silk Road Blossom blends vanilla vodka with jasmine tea and oat milk, Korai smokes vodka with kaffir lime, lemongrass, and matcha, and the Kai Negroni butter-washed rum and coffee-infused vermouth. Hibana and Cape of Good Hope push boundaries, while classics like Penicillin, Pisco Sour, and Martini are executed flawlessly. Even mocktails, from Togarashi Twist to KopiCocoa, elevate non-alcoholic options to equal artistry.
Freedom to Be Yourself
Kai’s defining quality is its refusal to dictate an experience. “Kai is not about defining an evening. It’s about opening it up,” say’s founders. Guests can seek energy or calm, celebration or connection, discovery or comfort, Kai adapts. In a city obsessed with Instagram-first design and rigid demographics, Kai trusts its guests to craft their own story. Thirteen floors above MG Road, where the city stretches endlessly in all directions, Kai proves that the truest luxury is freedom, the freedom to explore, discover, and be limitless.
Kai – Bar & Kitchen
Open for lunch, dinner, sundowners, and late-night service—reservations recommended for private dining and terrace seating.
- Time: 12:30 pm – 11:30 pm
- Price for two approx: INR 3000
- Seating Capacity: 200 covers
- Address: 13th Floor, Du Parc Trinity, 17, Mahatma Gandhi Rd, opposite Vijaya Bank, Craig Park Layout, Ashok Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560001
- Design: Maze Concept Design Studio | Principal Architects: Koushik B R & Priyanka M C | Project Architect: Nithya Niranjana
- Culinary Leadership: Head Chef Virendra Singh Chauhan | Head of Beverage Programme: Ashish Adhikari
