Around the world in a cocktail menu: Chef Vedant Newatia brings flavours from across the globe to his tables in Indore

Care for a scotch mixed with orange marmalade and kvass, paired with a slice of focaccia with EVOO and butter? What about gin with Gondhoraj lemon, caramelised banana and mango with a pocket of tamarind, coriander and pomegranate? Or does gin mixed with ginger, mint and cucumber paired with a salad of beetroot, citrus, and goat cheese sound more up your alley?

Whatever your preferences may be, trust Chef Vedant Newatia, founder and head chef at Atelier V and Masala Code, to create a flavourful cocktail for you. Newatia’s days of globe-trotting and flavour mixing has led him to create menus where he blends and infuses flavours from opposing sides of the world.

His Atelier V menu brings together flavours from countries including Mexico, the UK, Japan, Italy, Korea, Greece, Jamaica, Switzerland, and India. His Masala Code menu follows the same principle but closer home, stretching from Kashmir, Assam, Maharashtra to Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

His masterful menus may be the draw but also the fact that both these restaurants are located in a Tier II city make it all the more special. Newatia credits the openness and curiosity of the people of Indore for the encouraging response.

“They want to try new things and understand what they’re eating. There’s a growing appetite for experiences that feel authentic, not just in flavour but in the way food is presented and served. I think cities like Indore aren’t trying to copy the metros anymore; they’re building their own identities in modern dining. People here are proud of their local roots, yet eager to explore global influences. That balance is what makes cooking here exciting,” says Newatia.

For Newatia, Indore is the perfect place to build his legacy. He also wants to bring Indore to the forefront. “Atelier V was my way of showing that a city like Indore could embrace global flavours and refined techniques without losing its sense of comfort. It was about creating a space where good food, thoughtful drinks, and genuine hospitality could come together naturally. With Masala Code, the idea was to go deeper into identity – to celebrate the vastness of India and bring 29 states, 29 stories, and countless influences under one roof,” he says.

Newatia, for good reason, does not agree with the presumption that residents of Tier II cities do not have the most refined palate. He, in fact, squarely argues against it and says Indore’s palate is far more evolved than people give it credit for. The fact that both Atelier V and Masala Code are in Indore does not put him in the backfoot. Instead it puts Newatia in the limelight that he has effortlessly stolen from metro cities. 

For instance: Masala Code offers a delectable mix of ingredients from every corner of the country – from Lolab, inspired by Kashmir’s serene valleys and its centuries-old Kahwa tradition – a blend of saffron and tea to Majuli that draws on Assam’s lush tea gardens and monastic calm, combining scotch, tea, and lemongrass to evoke the quiet strength of the Brahmaputra.

Atelier V, on the other hand, was made to execute dishes and cocktails, made to international standards. Atelier V started with a menu of 56 classic cocktails – everything from Negronis and Whiskey Sours to Espresso Martinis – to ensure each drink was made the right way, using premium spirits, proper technique, and consistent measures. “Once we built that foundation, we introduced ‘Around the World in 12 Cocktails’ – a more experimental menu inspired by my travels. Each cocktail tells a story from a different country, influenced by its flavours, culture, and experiences,” he says.

Atelier V’s cocktail menu includes drinks like ‘Cin-Cin!’ that combines tequila, parmesan, mushroom, and black pepper, while Masala Code offers drinks like ‘Simbor’ that reinterprets coastal Gujarat’s betel leaf tradition into a gin cocktail, ‘Madhura’ that pays tribute to Central India’s mahua and more. Take your pick. You are more likely to find your new favourite drink than not.

Even as Newatia and his team have crafted some of the most delectable drinks, he wants to offer the same on the tables he owns, in his line of sight, and under the careful setting-up of the ambience. “Some things are meant to be experienced where they come from. The moment you try to commercialise or package something for mass production, it starts losing its charm. What makes our cocktails special is the context – the atmosphere, the conversations, and the craft that goes into every pour. That sense of place and experience is hard to bottle.”

“Everything we do is for the guest – it has to taste good, feel right, and connect. Otherwise, what’s the point?” he asks.

With two very special restaurants under his belt, Newatia says that the next chapter is about strengthening what they have built under the House of V label. “I’ve been grateful to create two restaurants – Atelier V and Masala Code – each with its own story and spirit…Ultimately, it’s about deepening what we’ve started and creating spaces that keep inspiring curiosity and connection,” he says.