The modern European restaurant in Indiranagar leans into a brutalist design language, and pushes the envelope with dishes such as duck tea noodles, koji striploin and corn ice cream

The duo behind Bengaluru’s OG wood-fired pizzeria Brik Oven, has grown up. And in those ten years, so has Bengaluru. It is only natural that Anirudh Nopany and Sreeram Anvesh’s newest offering is a mature, technique-driven modern European restaurant. Brine is located in Indiranagar and riffs on European cuisine with chocolate jus on their steaks and miso guajillo vinaigrette on their salads.

Tiger prawns

Vibe shift

As you enter the restaurant located on 80 Feet Road, it is the imposing Brutalist style interiors that greet you first. Austere gray walls, glass block tiles, and wooden furniture make up the place. Textural lantana and cane statement pieces stand at the centre. The vibe is buzzy and even on a weeknight, there is a crowd.

The menu spans only two pages, with a clear modern European inclination. The honey toast is a small loaf of bread that is crisp on the outside and pillowy inside. It is topped with a swirl of blue cheese and Sichuan peppercorns, that contrast with the sweetness of the honey.

The chicken skewers are marinated in a Japanese tare and almond arbol sauce. It is smoky and spicy. The tiger prawns have seafood-forward sauces of prawn chilli oil and prawn butter. The triple cooked potato wedges are served with an in-house made tomato jam and hot sauce, which elevate the taters. The haloumi burger is a little salty, but the homemade potato bun takes the dish to another level.

Shake it up

The cocktails are named after one key ingredient. We try the Cheese, made with vodka, Gruyère cheese, Lapsang souchong tea and apple. The apple notes dominate, with the saltiness of the cheese coming through later. Salt and Pepper is a spicy number with three pepper gin, bitters, vermouth and brine.

While the starters are all winners, the mains are a hit and miss. First the good stuff. The miso fettucine is the perfect balance of creamy and umami. The black garlic on top adds another dimension. In the roasted tomato risotto, the rice is cooked al dente and just right. The tomato vinegar used in this dish is balanced and made in house.

The orecchiette pasta has a parmesan foam topping that is too dairy-forward and the mushroom flavour of the dish gets lost in it. As a cabbage lover, I am not impressed with the charred cabbage, as the vegetable is rawer than I would like. The sauce of the dish though, is delicious.

Interiors of Brine

Deseert brings it right back. The corn ice cream is light and almost sorbet-like. The flavours are subtle, but when paired with the popped amaranth grains, it is nutty and popcorn-ish. They also offer an orange French toast, and a dark chocolate crémeux, and we save these for our next visit.

Brine stands out in a sea of restaurants in Indiranagar thanks to its design- and technique-forward approach.

₹3,000 for two. At Indiranagar, 80 Feet Road. Open for dinner, Tuesday – Sunday. For more details, call 07338537171