What does a bar look like when it behaves less like a bar and more like a piece of speculative fiction?
At Delhi’s, Vasant Vihar’s AABBCC, recently named among Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2026, guests climb three floors that function like chapters in a story. A laboratory where ingredients are deconstructed, a ocktail bar where flavours come together, a rooftop reserved for underground music and artistes who fit the bar’s distinctly retro-futurist imagination.
Conversation Room, Kolkata
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Special Arrangement
On July 17, Kolkata will get its first taste of that universe. For one night, AABBCC’s team will take over Kolkata’s Conversation Room, led by founders Abhimanyu Maheshwari and Ramesh Agarwal by bringing its ingredient-led cocktails and globally inspired food to the city in a collaboration that coincides with the bar’s growing international acclaim.
More than cocktails
Speaking about the feature in the Asia’s 50 Best Bars list, Aditi Singh, co-founder, AABBCC says, “What has gotten us here is believing in an idea so unique, and secondly our team. This win is for everyone. You work hard every single day, the team has worked over hours, worked towards impeccable service, and to bring something new to India. There was another idea that we had which was to elevate the cocktail culture and not just cocktails. You know, we also serve food, we also do gigs. So the idea is to have a futuristic product that anyone and everyone can enjoy and it leaves a mark in your memory.”
As the conversation drifts towards being placed next to only one other Indian bar, Bar Outrigger in Goa, Aditi says, “We were hoping that there would be two, three more Indian bars in the top 50 list. But again, this is, as you can imagine, out of eight lakh bars, it is a very big feat. There could have been many others, but big congratulations to Outrigger who are also a very hard working team. The idea is to take India forward to the world. “
Everything inside the Delhi bar has been designed around a three-tier journey that plays with the senses.
“The first floor is where we deconstruct cocktails. Guests can actually see the background work. The second floor is where you experience the cocktails and food. The third floor opens only for artists who truly align with the brand,” she says.
Tepache, a hundred year old Mexican beverage.
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Special Arrangement
The progression is deliberate. The name AABBCC itself, she says, reflects ascent. “It’s almost like learning your ABCs. Each level takes you a little further.” Retro-futurism forms the bar’s visual language.
“Our ideas are layered, but the execution has to be simple. We never want guests to feel they have to work hard to understand what we’re doing,” says Aditi.
While there is no cover charge, Aditi recommends prior bookings or registrations at the bar. Walk-ins are also welcome.
Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow.
The cocktail menu unfolds like the past meeting the present and plunging into the future. Yesterday revisits classics such as the Godfather and Long Island Iced Tea, rebuilt entirely from scratch.
“We don’t buy liqueurs like amaretto. We make everything ourselves. We source ingredients. We even make our own chocolate. Everything else is created in-house,” Aditi asserts.
Today’s menu explores contemporary global drinking styles. Tomorrow ventures somewhere stranger.
Miyazaki, a bourbon-based dessert cocktail crowned with house-made chocolate.
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Special Arrangement
Among the signatures are Where’s My Rice, inspired by Thai curry, Charred Aubergine, a smoky cocktail accompanied by edible ants, Tikiyero, which balances spice, sweetness and tang, and Miyazaki, a bourbon-based dessert cocktail crowned with house-made chocolate.
The food follows the same philosophy, offering globally influenced small plates designed to complement rather than overpower the drinks.
Coming to Kolkata
For Conversation Room co-founder Abhimanyu Maheshwari, bringing AABBCC to Kolkata was almost inevitable. “It’s one of the most interesting bars to emerge from India in a long time,” he says. The collaboration comes just as AABBCC continues its rapid ascent on international lists.
“It’s remarkable that a bar which opened less than a year ago has already found a place among Asia’s finest,” he says.
Carrot mille-feuille
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Special Arrangement
Conversation Room plans to recreate more than the menu. Lighting, atmosphere and thematic details will echo the Delhi bar’s distinctive identity. “When we host bars, we don’t simply pour their cocktails. We try to recreate their world,” notes Abhimanyu.
A city of taste
“I haven’t visited in years, but I’ve always loved the city. People call it the City of Joy. I think it’s also a city of taste,” excalims an excited Aditi.
Not simply taste for food, she adds, but for music, culture and ideas. It is perhaps why AABBCC’s arrival feels apt. The bar has become one of India’s most closely watched cocktail destinations by refusing to separate hospitality from storytelling. On July 17, for one evening at least, Kolkata will step inside that story.
Located at Mezzanine and First Floor, Property No. 57, Basant Lok, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi, Delhi 110057. A table for two at AABBCC is for ₹3500-4000. Call +91 9910611162 for registrations.
Conversation Room is located at Ground Floor, Edward Court, Unit No 11, 1, 55, Chowringee Road, Kolkata, West Bengal 700071. A table for two is for ₹2000-3000. Call 091471 11609 for registrations.
Published – July 14, 2026 06:16 pm IST
