On Bangalore’s eastern edge, a new bar lives up to its name. Wild celebrates indigenous cultures with cocktails that are both daring and lighthearted—serious in craft yet served with a wink.
Wild, the New Cocktail Bar in Bangalore
Wild stands for Wildly Indigenous Lit Drinks—a name that captures the bar’s guiding philosophy. As Operations Head Karl Fernandes explains, “Our menu celebrates tradition, not by imitation but through innovation. Together with the team we’ve created something both familiar and refreshingly new.”
Here, ingredients rooted in indigenous cultures around the world become the starting point for every cocktail. That global reach matters: while Wild is very much a neighborhood bar, its vision extends far beyond Bangalore.
Indigenous Ingredients, Creative Craft
For Karl Fernandes, the idea of indigenous spans far and wide—“from ancient herbs and sacred spices to wild fruits and lesser-known botanicals,” he says. One of the clearest examples is Do You Like It Raw?, a cocktail inspired by the pickling traditions of Goa. Here, mango is brined for an intense hit of flavor, then mixed with agave nectar, tequila and a spice blend to highlight what Fernandes calls “a raw, unapologetic umami.”
Another signature, the Ume Shibori Highball, nods to a Japanese fabric-dyeing technique known as shibori. At Wild it comes together with umeshu, plum liqueur and a combava tincture. As one of the bar’s mottos proclaims, “No boring drinks here,” and bar manager Apoorva Kohli happily brings that philosophy to every pour.
Food with the Same Spirit
Executive chef Harshit takes the same playful approach. “Our dishes extend the concept behind the drinks. We’ve taken beloved recipes from across the globe and turned them into bar food that’s simple and anything but pretentious,” he says. Take the Jackfruit Haleem, a vegetarian spin on the traditional mutton dish—“shamelessly meatless,” Harshit laughs. Or the Katsu Curry, a hearty plate whose flavors, he promises, “go from zero to ‘oh my god’ in a heartbeat.”
Wild, a New Kind of Rebellion
This light-hearted tone underpins what the Wild team calls “a new kind of rebellion” in the cocktail world: a playful remix of tradition, sharpened by creative twists and a meticulous eye for ingredients.
A Corner for Reading
Adding to its character, Wild also features a small reading nook. “It’s filled with books I’ve collected during my travels and a few prized comics to awaken the child in all of us,” says Kohli. “Consider your time at our bar a stroll down memory lane.”
Images courtesy Wild
