You stand outside a monstrous black door with many peep holes. Ring the bell and wait. One of the peep window creeks open and you ask for a table, or announce the name you made the reservation in. The heavy monster steps aside and you find yourself transported to America of the 1920s, down to its Prohibition Era and a steam punk vibe with brown leather furnishing and bare brick walls to represent an alley and wooden chandeliers with crazy tungsten yellow bulbs.

Paneer Tikka Tacos

The concept is just to add some drama, confesses owner of The Little Easy, Vishesh Shah, who came across speakeasy bars when he spent seven months in Fredrickberg, Virginia, to launch a diner in 2015. "We are in 2017, and alcohol is legal," he quips about the period between 1920 and 1933 when liquor was made illegal due to the belief that alcohol was the evil that caused personal and social problems. We spot a painting that depicts a wood panel artwork with officials dumping alcohol in the sewage. The servers will be dressed in black and white, accented with suspenders and waistcoats like the prohibition gentlemen of the 90s.

While restaurateurs usually come up with concepts and find a suitable space, Shah already had the 2,300 sq ft space where the family ran Dhanraj, a multi cuisine vegetarian restaurant for 50 years at Linking Road. "It is in a narrow lane, and I knew it had the potential for a pub like this." The spot was perfect for a resto-pub and Shah took the decision to move with the times. So, he combined the restaurant and the adjoining bar called 20-20 for Little Easy, that opens to the public on November 8.