What makes Zitar different is that it can be appreciated by all five senses and it touches the soul
Indian restaurants have largely remained unchanged through the years — typical copper serving utensils, stewards in kurtas or sherwanis and a live ghazal singer. When proprietor Dharmesh Karmokar, heard zitar maestro Niladri Kumar take off into a riff of Top Gun's OST in concert, he was inspired to conceptualise a restaurant which had something new to offer. He then joined hands with Ricky Punwani, Nikhil Mathur and Behram Kaovasia to open Zitar – a modern Indian restaurant and bar celebrating Indian eclectics.
The Zitar, which is an electric sitar, created by Niladri, and named on impulse, “is a symbol of 'open ness' — the sitar let itself be influenced by the various changes around it to be the new age instrument,” says Dharmesh. “It's the soul of the zitar which is in the air. The ambience is minimalistic with white walls and black stoned flooring, Gond art adorning the frames on the walls.” The restaurant has taken the sitar’s simplicity with splashes of colour reflecting vibrancy in the interiors.
What makes Zitar different is that it can be appreciated by all five senses and it touches the soul, says Dharmesh. The music includes artists who have modernised classical music and made it popular among the youth, including Karsh Kale, Raghu Dixit, Norah Jones, Anoushka Shankar and of course Niladri. They also have live music, which is experimental and on select nights. “It would be a dream for us to have Niladri play for us,” he adds.
Zitar tries to decipher the Indian kitchen magic, analyse it, deconstruct it, tone it, enhance it, and reassemble it in a way which is innovative and modern.
"Before you praise or criticise any music, you should listen to it three times," Niladri laughs, but he says he's biased towards the Basil Chicken Tikka, and has ordered it both the times he's been to the restaurant.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}