Gawky Goose—With cocktails doused in flavours of design, this Bengaluru pub by Balan + Nambisan Architects reignites the jazz of art deco style

Evocative, enrapturing and exemplary…words such as these immediately roll into your thoughts when you catch a glimpse of Gawky Goose, a high-octane pub standing tastefully on Wind Tunnel Road in Bengaluru.

Underpinned with a crisp yet smooth recitation of classic English and Irish design languages with a modern rhythm of the 21st century, the pub brings forth an unmissable European atmosphere of interiors, food and cocktails that intrigues guests at every step and glance.

A design project authored by the perceptive minds Sam Varghese and Arun Balan of Balan and Nambisan Architects (BNA), Gawky Goose is a triumphant attempt at transporting visitors to the cosy, communal Irish pubs and even the nostalgic world of the eventful Great Gatsby-esque soirees!

Varghese recollects, “The clients, having spent their college years in the UK developed affinity towards the old school charm of local pubs, while also fascinated by the grace and splendour of art deco style in The Great Gatsby.” The birth of this dynamic kitchen and bar was rather a meticulous process. Originally, the space was once a vacant expanse sitting on the ground floor of a G+3 structure.

“Given the constraints imposed by the defined extents of the flat floor plate, a design decision was made to add a raised deck slab extension at the rear end to expand the floor plate, creating more room for guests,” iterates Varghese.

Stretching a roomy scape of 14,000 sq ft, the pub is largely made of three entertainment zones— a pet-friendly outdoor receiving deck, an indoor bar and seating, and an outdoor deck.

As you approach the outlet, an inviting brick-clad deck speckled with ferns and pines directs the attention to the entrance. Inside, as you gaze up, a transparent glazed ceiling romances the daylight that floods in through and across. Of course, you can’t miss the suited up gander with its monocle sitting right at the entryway.

Through the glazed partition, one finally arrives inside the grand but homely pub where every decor detail arouses a sense of awe. An impressive brass embellished bar bathed in a green hue hosts tufted tan leather bar stools and overlooks the spacious spread of seaters, chesterfield, wingbacks and natural wooded tables dictating an evident English-inspired setting.

Art deco-themed chandeliers blanket the space softly with a warm radiance. A lavish spread of a variety of glassware sits stylishly in company of the finest bottles of tipples and spirits. But the bar’s not where the experience pulls a full stop. The layout continues to open up to a breezy outdoor deck housing yet another bar.

Be it the afternoon light or the hazy evening glow, the light trickles down from the wood batten roof above, along with the skylight cast. Imbibing precisely an outdoorsy mood, the deck plays with lush greens, grey flooring, mustard yellow chesterfield and grey and wood furniture. 

Varghese reveals, “A rather happy accident, the massive intricate wrought iron chandelier suspended from a less-than-ideal height of the roof sloping imparts a larger-than-life aura.” 

At Gawky Goose, while the themes play a sweet tussle between English, European and art deco influences, no design element or turn here looks identical to the other. A resplendent outpour of contrasting but refined colours mingles with the cool, sober greys and beige to keep the appeal soaring higher every minute at this Bengaluru hotspot!

Scroll down for more glimpses of Gawky Goose…

Address: #77, Wind Tunnel Rd, Muniyappa Layout, Bengaluru, Karnataka-560017

Cost for two: Approx ₹ 2000

Call for reservation: 099017 87273

If Gawky Goose enraptured you with its art deco details, make sure to check out this breezy Greek restaurant OPAKipos in Mumbai too