INDA-BAR
by Vivian Holding
Still struggling to find a great place to eat Indian food in Geneva?
Finding great Indian food in Geneva isn’t easy – past experiences have been pretty much a no-no for me ambiance-wise (non-existent), decor-wise (sorry I’m not a big fan of the faux-Indian look), price-wise (crazy) and food-wise (well, what would be the point?). The Inda-Bar in Eaux-Vives has changed all that – with its lively atmosphere, gorgeous modern and cosy decor and although not a steal price-wise (within the average Genevan restaurant price range), the food was delicious, fresh and flavourful. I loved it so much in fact, I returned the following week!
TOP MARKS FOR DECOR
The Inda-Bar scores top marks for decor, which is styled in a cosy modern way with a punchy navy, yellow and cream colour scheme – beautifully wallpapered walls, quirky mirrors, wire hanging pendants, brass light fittings and butterfly filled floating glass picture frames. They also have the cutest little wooden clipboard menus.
A CUTE AND COSY NOOK FOR TWO
Founder Morad El Hajjaji welcomed us in and showed us to our table – a cute and intimate little nook for two and perfect for our date night. We perused their very inviting cocktail list and found it hard to choose from the selection of delicious sounding drinks – the very refreshing Train to Mumbai came out tops, the perfect mix of gin, cardamon, lychee, ginger, raspberries and cranberries.
- INDA STAR Vodka 42, Cinnamon, Vanilla and Passion Fruit
- JUNGLE MOJITO Bacardi Spicy Rum, St Germain, Lime, Kumquats and Tonic
- TEQUILA GINGER MULE Tequila Cazadores, Ginger, Lime and Ginger Beer
- TRAIN TO MUMBAI Bombay Sapphire Gin, Cardamon, Lychee, Ginger, Raspberries and Cranberry
- CALL A CAB Jack Honey, Amaretto, Cognac, Lime and Ginger Ale
- KWINI Cointreau, Chambord, Grenade, Kumquats and Cranberry
- INDA HOUSE Vodka 42, Cointreau, Thé Rooibos, Mint, Woodland Strawberries and Kumquats
- BASILIC INSTINCT Hendrick’s Gin, St Germain, Cucumber, Basil and Prosecco
- MANGALORE SPICE Tequila, Mangalore, Mango and Cayenne Pepper
SHARING PLATES
Former chef of the Rasoi at the Mandarin Oriental, Kuldeep Rawat’s dinky open kitchen complete with tandoor oven miraculously creates beautifully prepared and presented sharing dishes. We opted to try the chicken cooked three ways, prawn tempura, vegetable samosas, garlic naan bread and a mint and pomegranate raita.
GREAT VEGETARIAN OPTIONS
Vegetarians needn’t worry about menus options as the Inda-Bar takes great care of non-meat eaters with their Inda Veggie main courses, which sound delicious:
- Tandoor Roasted Paneer, Mixed Sweet Peppers and Onions
- Spicy Veggie Samosas with Chickpea Curry
- Corn and Spinach Tikki, Baighan Bartha
- Tandoor Roasted Achari Cauliflower
as well as the option of two veggie starters, plus the choice of plain naan, garlic and coriander naan, spicy cheese naan and two raitas – cucumber or mint and pomegranate.
TO FINISH
There’s always room for dessert in my book and with a choice of either pineapple infused with cardamon served with a banana sorbet, poached pear with ginger, chocolate sauce and yoghurt ice cream, mango tiramisu or Nutella naan – we opted for the poached pear to share.
A RETURN FOR LUNCH
Keen to return the following week, I invited a friend to try out their midweek lunch menu.
Served from Tuesday to Friday, Inda Bar offer a much simpler set menu, which we found equally tasty – lentil fritters with a beetroot raita to start, a delicate piece of fish with a lightly spiced potato dosa and coconut salad, followed by one of the lightest tiramisu I have ever tasted.
If you want to know what’s on the lunch menu for the week, don’t forget to sign up to their Facebook page where they publish it weekly. Click here.
A FIRM FAVOURITE
Inda-Bar have already built up an incredible following since opening earlier this year, and understandably so. So if you’re after fresh, delicately spiced but full of flavour contemporary Indian food – this is definitely the place for you. Just remember to book in advance and do let them know where you got the recommendation from.
WHERE: 23 rue Henri Blanvalet, 1207 Genève. Telephone: 022 700 7950.
OPENING HOURS: Tuesday to Saturday, noon and evening.
WEBSITE: www.inda-bar.com/en/
BOOKING: contact@inda-bar.com (in English)
