Fielia, the city’s newest invite-only bar, rises inside the iconic Mahalaxmi Race Course with a concept India has never experienced before: a cocktail-forward aperitivo bar imagined as a Cocktail Cinema. Think dress-circle seats, a dramatic double-height ceiling, mezzanine balconies that look down like theatre boxes, and a bar that plays the role of the screen — the stage on which every scandal, every sin, every pour unfolds.
The space is the brainchild of Afsana Verma, Amit Verma, and Dhaval Udeshi and comes to life through the design language of Gauri Khan, who transforms the century-old racecourse mill architecture into something cinematic, sensual, and irresistibly modern. The triangular roofline, the generous height, and the raw industrial bones of the original structure set the foundation for a split-level bar: a moody ground floor wrapped in wrought-iron staircases, leading up to a mezzanine that mirrors the quiet drama of vintage theatre galleries.
“Fielia was designed as a space that reveals itself slowly. I wanted it to feel cinematic yet intimate — where scale exists, but emotion leads. The architecture holds a quiet drama, softened through curves, texture and light, allowing the bar to become the heart of the space.It’s not just about how it looks, but how it makes you feel”, said Gauri Khan
Fielia opens with its first narrative, Sin & Scandal, an evolving edit that explores human indulgence, temptation, and mythology. The cocktails are conceptualised by Beverage Director Fay Barretto — the creative force behind some of the city’s most innovative bar programs. Their work is defined by sensory storytelling, technical craft, and the ability to turn ingredients and gestures into miniature provocations.
At the bar, the cocktails are build around some of the world’s most notorious scandals — from political entanglements to stolen jewels, paparazzi moments, whispered affairs, financial collapses and cultural shocks — each interpreted not literally, but through props, gestures, illusions and sensory cues. The menu hints at everything from under-the-table dealings to melting diamonds, ill-fitting gloves, forbidden fruit, blinding flashbulbs, red cards, conspiracies, uprisings, leaks, scams, hallucinatory experiments, and celebrity chaos — all embedded subtly within the cocktails. The scandals span the playful, the wicked, the iconic, and the notorious, each brought to life through the kind of theatrical touches described in the bar’s internal playbook.
And inside this “Cocktail Cinema,” the bartenders themselves slip into crafted personas — the nerd, the jester, the flirt, the speedster — adding layers of character to the service experience.
“The architecture gave us the idea,” says Amit Verma, reflecting on the genesis of Cocktail Cinema. “Once we saw the height, the mezzanine, the way the windows framed the bar, it felt like a theatre waiting to happen. The ‘Cocktail Cinema’ concept came from wanting to build a bar where drinks aren’t just served — they’re experienced. Sin & Scandal is just the beginning. The goal is constant reinvention.”
At Fielia, he interprets the seven sins as a series of aperitivo-style dishes: some indulgent, some restrained, some fiery, some flirtatious. The appèritivo menu moves through temptations — crisp, punchy bites; chilled, fresh plates; slow-cooked richness; smoky warmth; and layered pastas and breads — allowing guests to graze their way through the night, tasting sin in small, elegant portions. The menu includes the full spectrum of bar bites, cold tapas, warm mezzes, breads, and artisanal pizzas curated for shared, lingering evenings.
