Massive Restaurant’s newest opening and Zorawar Kalra’s homage to the millennials or Gen Z, YOUnion, the all-day bar is now set to launch in the capital city on March 24th, 2022 at the Qutub Hotel, New Delhi.
Kalra, owner and founder of Massive Restaurants says, “YOUnion is the most fun and quirky concept we have ever developed. We’re acutely aware of the growing importance of the millennial generation and were keen to offer them a product that really caters to their preferences. The major USPs of the venue have a direct, cultural link to the youth of today. Our bar program disrupted the scene in India when we launched Younion in Mumbai. And now it’s all set to conquer the hearts of Delhiites”
YOUnion introduces many ‘firsts’ to Delhi, such as the country’s largest menu dedicated entirely to shots and a delightfully tropical and carnival-like vibe that will transport patrons from the moment they enter. The entire ceiling is covered with 30,000 artificial hanging flowers and greens and the green colour scheme of the bar gives out major Amazonian feels to the spectator.
DRINK TO IT
The drinks menu at YOUnion has been curated by Barnaby Ingram and Dino Koletsas of Dare Hospitality, which creates beverage concepts for hotel groups and top independent operators around the world. These include the award-winning Milk and Honey cocktail bars (in London and New York) and The Langham Hotel, home to the previous world’s best bar for 4 years running. Dare collaborates extensively with Massive Restaurants as their exclusive bar consultants for all their projects in India and around the world, including Massive Restaurant’s first foray into the London market with Farzi Café.
The wide selection of glassware includes some unique shapes like cactus, heart, cupcake, skeleton and even a high heeled stiletto. For the bar’s Stormtrooper cocktail, the helmet-shaped glass it is served in has been designed by Andrew Ainsworth himself, the prop-maker who made the original helmets for the popular movie in the Star Wars franchise.
DESIGN TO ENTHRALL
YOUnion’s interiors have been built with the current generation in mind, and painstakingly designed by the interior designer Aayushi Malik. Every square inch is packed with fun and innovative design elements. Even before entering, guests are greeted by a graffiti-inspired theme of mystical landscapes.
The bar is divided into 2 zones, Zone 1 is called The Rose Room, which sports everything in the shades of pink and red, with a high-gloss ceiling, pink velvet upholstered furniture and lacquered red marble tops. The eye-catching feature of this room is its huge gold palm tree installation with banana tree foliage. The pink fringe chandelier, its grandeur illustrations and the hangings are what define The Rose Room in its true sense.
Zone 2 is called the Mexican room with its colour story being white and green. The strong tex-mex pattern on the flooring and a shots bar counter is what catches the eye at first glance. The artificial ceiling of this room has been made with dried twigs, inspired by Mexican plants and roses. The walls of this room have 3D cactus features and larger than life wall lamps. The magnanimous Pegasus in the middle of the bar truly steals the show, moving in an up-down motion that is sure to grab everyone’s attention. The moving installations, neon lights, and a wall full of 100 moving emoticons make this room a piece of art in itself.
A large selection of Tapas, both Desi and dishes from Around the World, features Indo-Mexi tostadas, Ghee roast mutton boti; BBC hara bhara candy, (broccoli, beans and capsicum) coated with Goan cashew nuts, grilled chipotle paneer skewers, raw mango salsa and harissa chicken satay with spice sauce. To continue the evening, the chef recommends Guilty Pleasures like Gochujang chicken tikka, chicken kandi gosht, schezwan tossed chicken lollipop and Dynamic paneer chili. A Sharing section of the menu offers kheema ghotala tawa pav; grilled chicken and hummus; Younion loaded nachos and more.
