A slinky return: Slink & Bardot reopens in Worli with new flavours, but the same old vibe

A new invitation to an old haunt and the promise of a good meal has us wandering down the gullies of Worli Village in search of Slink amp Bardot on a sweltering Thursday Past a fleet of fishing boats before the path narrows into a cluster of hutments stands the aqua blue faccedilade of Thadani House It houses the resto bar thatrsquos starting a new innings after a pandemicinduced pause Slink amp Bardot wersquore reminded has now moved on from being a modern French eatery But its spirit lingers on we find as we step into its arched doorway Divorced from its Koli neighbourhood the charming bungalow mdash a textile factory in the 1950s mdash can easily tempt you with a rewind ticket to the house parties and clubs of 1920srsquo ParisMe so morelYoursquod have to be negotiating a mild hangover of Woody Allenrsquos Midnight in Paris 2011 to imagine that the chequered tile corridor leads you to a roguered bar that could have hosted the Fitzgeralds or that Cole Porter couldrsquove well played the grand olrsquo piano in the far end of the room This livedin intimacy wraps us around as the new host and partner Vicky Singh gives us the tour of the four dining areas and a hideout bar under a skylight Singh joined hands with restaurateur friend Riyaaz Amlani to give the eatery that opened in 2017 a new lease of life ldquoBy the time the second wave hit Nick Harrison and Alexis Gielbaum who were running the space took a call to move back home abroad Vicky and I hang out quite often and it occurred to us to do something together A place like this needs a particular sensibility and he had some wonderful ideasrdquo explains Amlani CEO and MD of Impresario Handmade RestaurantsQuail eggAs a nod to its flavourful past the 120seater space now offers a host of personal plates small plates large plates and desserts not bound by cuisine but by influences across borders Singh says ldquoThatrsquos how we eat even at home right We donrsquot want to restrict you to courses itrsquos an unshackling experiencerdquo he sharesJackfruit right aeropress negroniLike all good things we kick off our meal with a drink mdash jackfruit Rs 750 mdash by head mixologist Santosh Kukreti whorsquos designed a bar menu inspired by the history of cocktails With the purplehued jackfruit he manages to craft the distinctive sweet notes of the summer staple without any of the fruit at all A blend of feni pineapple lemongrass kaffir lime coconut milk and rum itrsquos one of those drinks you linger on Complementing its freshness is executive chef AliAkbar Baldiwalarsquos tropical ceviche Rs 160 mdash sweet pineapple doused in bold gochujang and a sharp wasabi buttermilk Next up from the bitesized personal plates section mdash an economical pick to pair with drinks mdash is an umami bomb from Kashmir me so morel Rs 310 that packs a miso custard odd scraps of the mushroom and is glazed with morel water Itrsquod be hard to stick to one portion We wish we could say the same about the wing Rs 180 the chefrsquos take on the classic chicken wings with goji berries and fermented berry hot sauce that is a tad too sweet We remedy this with the gin and camparibased aeropress negroni Rs 1200 An ode to the Italian cocktail from 1919 this boozy drink will literally wake you up to smell the coffeeVicky Singh and Riyaaz AmlaniChef Baldiwalarsquos fare apart from infusing influences from across the world is also a play on his memories This nostalgia comes alive in a tiny bowl of quail egg Rs 180 showered with meat floss or gustava a Bohri delicacy and a culinary art of preservation thatrsquos slowly fading The eggy treat is quite a mouthful with the crispy buff gustava a peanut podi and tamagoyaki foam Similarly as a hattip to his time in Goa buff toast Rs 445 brings together a smooth pastramilike beef tongue over a tangy kasundi sourcream that wersquod love to return forChequered tiles opulent chandeliers and dark distressed pastel shades lend a vintage touch to the space PicsPradeep DhivarFor mains we enjoy the eggplant Rs 575 mdash smoky sweetish and wholesome with pomegranate molasses As we round off the visit with the light and coconutty passionfruit and yuzu tart Rs 395 and head out of the aqua blue bungalow wersquore grateful that this oldworld hideout has decided to come back to the partySlink amp BardotOpens June 3 6 pm to 130 am Mondays closedAt Thadani House 329A Worli VillageCall 7045904728