Soka Cocktail Bar, Bengaluru
Inside the Experience
From the outside, Soka Cocktail Bar could almost pass you by. Indiranagar’s 1st Main is busy enough that you might miss the small entrance if you’re not looking for it. But once you push through the door, the city drops a few decibels and the room pulls you in close.
It’s compact – just over 500 square feet – but it doesn’t feel cramped. The space is styled like a cozy izakaya: rattan chairs, earthy textures, flickering wall lamps, and a striking installation by Goan artist Siddharth Kerkar that seems to glow from within. A long table, a soft banquette, and the bar itself create pockets of energy: a couple on a date at one end, a small group dissecting their last drink at the other, solo guests quietly taking it all in.
From the first glance at the menu, it’s clear that Soka isn’t interested in just “serving cocktails”. Every drink has a story, a reference, a local thread. When the Mofo Don arrives – pink from red cabbage, cilantro rim dusted with heat – you’re told it’s a nod to their cabbage vendor. A few sips in, and that playful backstory makes sense: it’s irreverent, clever, and surprisingly elegant.
Plates arrive in miniature: nano plates, they call them. A crisp shard of Soka Fried Chicken with raw mango chimichurri. A dark, peppery Mutton Pepper Fry that tastes like a South Indian classic put through a bar-kitchen lens. Between bites, you watch as the bar team – helmed by chef Sombir Choudhary and bartender Avinash Kapoli – move through their tiny, unbelievably efficient kitchen, sending out one small, precise thing after another.
The room hums with chatter and low house music; it never roars, but it never feels sleepy either. Soka feels like a secret that’s already half out in the world – No. 28 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2025 and still somehow intimate enough that the bartenders remember what you liked last time.
What People Say Most Often
“One of Bangalore’s best cocktail bars – easily top tier.”
“Feels like a well-kept secret you immediately want to tell your friends about.”
“Cocktails are crispy, balanced and full of character – nothing feels lazy.”
“Food is unexpectedly excellent, but portions are small and prices premium.”
“Service is warm, attentive, and great at reading your preferences.”
“Two-hour slots can feel rushed if you’re trying to savour a full experience.”
Editorial Snapshot
Overview
Soka Cocktail Bar is an intimate, izakaya-style cocktail bar in Indiranagar that turns Bengaluru’s everyday stories into drinks and plates. Co-created by chef Sombir Choudhary (of Goa’s Jamming Goat fame) and bartender Avinash Kapoli, it’s a 38-seat room where narrative, technique, and hospitality intersect.
Ranked No. 28 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2025, Soka is less about spectacle and more about thoughtful, story-driven drinking: cocktails built on local markets, neighbourhood characters, and familiar Indian flavours reimagined with sous vide, clarification, and meticulous prep.
The Experience
Walking into Soka feels a bit like stepping backstage at a very well-rehearsed performance. The room is tight but beautifully composed: rattan chairs, earthy walls, a cocoon-like glow from the lighting, and that sculptural centerpiece that draws your eye upward before you even sit down.
Settle into your seat and the details start to reveal themselves. The bar top catches the light; the glassware is chosen for each drink, not just grabbed at random. There’s an omakase sensibility in the way the team interacts with you – even if you’re ordering from the menu, there’s a sense that they’re curating a journey rather than ticking boxes.
You might start with something bright and playful – a Mofo Don or a jasmine-forward gin serve – while the first nano plate hits the table. Then comes something richer, maybe the Mysore High with coffee and banana notes, alongside a heavier, spiced plate. The rhythm of the evening feels deliberate: build, contrast, soften, finish.
The soundtrack is mostly house and downtempo, just loud enough to give the room a pulse but soft enough for conversation. On quieter nights, Soka feels contemplative, almost meditative. On fuller evenings, it can lean loud and buzzy, but the intimacy of the space keeps it from tipping into chaos.
The only real reminder of the outside world is the two-hour booking slot. When your time is nearly up, the staff gently let you know; it keeps the room turning, but if you’re midway through a particularly good story, you’ll wish for another hour.
Signatures & Standouts
Cocktails
Soka’s drinks are story-centric, built around local references, textures, and small inside jokes. Some of the standouts:
Mofo Don
A spicy tequila cocktail tinted pink with red cabbage, finished with cilantro and jalapeño on the rim. It’s a tribute to the bar’s cabbage vendor: bright, vegetal, playful, and more complex than it first appears.Cheese Cherry Pineapple
A grown-up love letter to the classic Indian pub snack. Rum (or white rum base), pineapple, aged cheddar, cream cheese, and Luxardo cherry come together in a drink that starts nostalgic and ends surprisingly sophisticated.Pi Pi Martini
Hapusa gin, jujube-pickled brine, and dry vermouth – a saline, aromatic martini for people who love their drinks savoury and precise.Mysore High
Bacardi Añejo Cuatro, Mysore banana oleo saccharum, coffee liqueur, and bitters. Deep, rich, and layered—more coffee-bar after dark than tiki.I Blame Jasmine
Hapusa gin with carbonated jasmine cordial. Floral and lifted without feeling perfumey; the kind of drink you accidentally finish too quickly.Soka Represent
Vodka, Campari, grapefruit, saline, and a feather-light vegan foam. Bitter, citrusy and modern, it’s an excellent bridge between classic and contemporary.
Across the board, guests describe the cocktails as creative, “crispy,” and technically sharp, with the team happy to improvise based on your preferences.
Nano Plates
Soka’s 10 nano plates are as much a part of the experience as the drinks:
Soka Fried Chicken with Raw Mango Chimichurri – Crunchy, tangy, and engineered to disappear embarrassingly fast.
Mutton Pepper Fry – A bar-ified take on a South Indian classic: dark, peppery, and deeply comforting.
Spicy Smoked Kulcha with Chhena, Artichoke & Jackfruit – A small, smoky pocket of flavour that eats like a tiny, modern Indian bistro dish.
Chicken Gyoza with Malai Coconut Cream – Familiar form, unexpected pairing, lush texture.
Soft Shell Crab, prawn tostadas, lamb skewers, haleem samosa and more – each plate playing with texture and memory rather than just acting as “bar snacks”.
Portions are intentionally small – nano, not sharing plate – and priced accordingly on the premium side, but they’re designed to match the pacing of the drinks rather than fill you up.
Why People Love It
It feels like a secret, even with the accolades. From the slightly tucked-away entrance to the compact room, Soka feels discovered rather than advertised.
Cocktails with a brain and a heart. There’s technique, sure, but also humour, nostalgia, and a strong sense of place.
Nano plates that actually matter. Many guests arrive for the drinks and leave talking about the food.
Atmosphere that’s “effortlessly classy.” Chic but not stiff; you can come on a date, with friends, or even alone and feel at ease.
Personality behind the bar. Regulars rave about the team’s recommendations, warmth, and ability to read the room.
Good to Know
Location: Indiranagar, 2nd Stage – central, but the entrance is easy to miss; keep an eye on building numbers and look up.
Reservations: Highly recommended. Soka operates on two-hour slots (5 pm–1 am) and will ask you to wrap up at the end of your time, even if you arrived late into the slot. Walk-ins can feel rushed if you’re not aware of this.
Pricing: Premium. Cocktails and nano plates are priced on the higher side, but most guests feel the quality and craft justify the spend.
Food: Excellent, with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options getting strong praise. Portions are intentionally small.
Noise: Ranges from quiet to loud-but-manageable; conversation is usually possible, though later slots can buzz.
Group size: Works for dates, small groups, and serious cocktail nights. The compact space isn’t ideal for big, rowdy parties.
Parking: Limited and can be tricky – many guests recommend cabs or ride-hailing.
Accessibility: Not particularly wheelchair-friendly due to layout and surrounding area.
Where to Find It
Soka Cocktail Bar
No. 210, A Cross, 1st Main Rd, 2nd Stage Indiranagar,
Domlur, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560071, India
Tucked into a busy Indiranagar street grid, Soka feels worlds away once you’re inside – a small, glowing room where Bengaluru’s flavours and stories are distilled into glass and plate.
