Surrealism, adultery and romance: This bar is an ode to the love story of Salvador Dali and Gala

Overlooking the chaos of Museum Road, there lies a world of surrealism and romance, encompassed in an art nouveau-inspired bar experience.  

The brainchild of Vipin Raman, Siddharth Kerkar, Jatin and Jayesh Hukkeri, Bengaluru’s newest cocktail bar is an ode to the transformative relationship between two extraordinary lovers–Spanish painter Salvador Dali, also known as the  leader of the Surrealist movement, and Gala. 

During the 53 years that they were together, Gala became Dali’s muse, inspiring most of his work. As a show of his devotion to his wife, Dali also signed his paintings with both their names. 

Beyond an inspiration for his artwork, Gala also played Dali’s business manager, managing his finances and handling negotiations with galleries and patrons, the Dali Library Guides suggests.

There wouldn’t be a Dali without Gala. 

The 69-seater bar, designed as a tavern, celebrates the romance between these two. Inspired by Dali’s ideas of surrealism, adultery and romance, the art-inspired bar—Dali & Gala—offers a unique establishment that blends art with a cocktail programme. 

With over 75 pieces on display, created and curated by Kerkar, a Goa-based artist and co-founder of Museum of Goa, an evening at the bar gives one the feel of enjoying cocktails inside an art museum. 

A light-bulb moment 

Kerkar and Raman, after having established successful bars and restaurants in Goa—Sopo, Room One, and Feri; and Jamming Goat in Bengaluru, set out to start something new. 

Last year, the duo travelled across nine European countries over 45 days, drinking and trying out different cocktail programmes. “We thought of taking a break and seeing what other cocktail bars in the world were doing…Not to seek inspiration but just to remain updated about what was working elsewhere…why was a particular bar in 30 best or 50 best lists,” Kerkar tells YS Life. 

Towards the end of the trip, the duo visited Dubrovnik in Croatia. “After finishing the city walk, we needed to rest our feet and visited an exhibition of Salvador Dali,” he recalls. 

“The exhibition was actually really bad. It was just a few drawings of Dali and some prints…We sat down because our legs were hurting and the wall in front of us read ‘Dali and Gala.’ Vipin (Raman) looked at me and said this works as a bar name.” Thus, in a light bulb moment, the duo knew what their next project would be.

Kerkar, who takes care of the design, wanted to create something mystical and immersive. Six months later, they had their newest bar—Dali & Gala. 

An evening at the museum

Interestingly, Dali & Gala is built on the same space that was once occupied by Bengaluru’s popular bar Tavern. Jatin, the architect and Founder of WDA Spaces, was attracted by the space while he was designing Olive Group’s Monkey Bar in the same building upstairs. 

With its low ceiling and multiple columns, the 2,500 sq ft space allowed the team to bring their vision to life. The bar is divided into five segments or rooms, each paying an ode to Dali’s vision and taking inspiration from the deeper narratives behind his work, each showcasing artwork inspired from Dali’s style.

“Dali said he was a bad artist, and personally I don’t like his drawings but his culture and thinking was crazy. So I wanted a space which would reflect a cocktail bar by Salvador Dali, if he was alive and created one,” Kerkar says. 

On entering Dali and Gala, the first thing one would notice is the ‘Eye Bar’—the bar counter created by Kerkar using his signature style, featuring over 50 hand-beaten eyes on 240 kilograms of copper. “Each eye took a day to be made,” he says. Placed at the back of the bar is a set of six large rotating heads—of Dali and Gala. 

Next to the bar is the ‘Smoke Room’. It is inspired by Kerkar and Raman’s Goan bar, Room One, featuring Fluffy—a skeletal figure that hangs from the ceiling. It also features a rotating set of heads of Dali and Gala. 

Opposite to it sits ‘Dali’s Library’, a room showcasing works around wordplay and celebrating the thinker and philosopher in Dali. It also features works like Teeth Saw, a personal purchase by Kerkar. 

The ‘Mirror Room’ has photographs of 50 people who have, in some way, played an integral role in the making of the bar—labourers, electricians, bartenders, chefs, advisors, delivery executives, and founders. “The mirror at the centre allows our visitors to look at their own reflection and signifies how they too, play an important role in making Dali & Gala what it is,” Kerkar explains. 

The ‘Rooster Room’ is a play on the word cocktail, showcasing artworks themed around the rooster and a lamp in the shape of a magnified red ant. “Dali loved drawing ants on Gala’s face,” Kerkar shares.

Meanwhile, the ‘Animal Room’ is a tribute to Dali’s obsession with creating distorted or modified animals. It features Kerkar’s interpretation of Dali’s elephants with long legs, and paintings of grapefruit, which was symbolic of Gala. 

Fun fact: Dali was assigned to design ashtrays for Air India’s valued patrons. In exchange, he asked for an elephant from India as a gift. The flight operator gifted Dali an elephant and flew it from Bengaluru to Spain. Dali named the elephant Surus.  

And lastly, there’s the ‘Rose Room’—an intimate corner that celebrates Dali’s affinity for flowers. It also features a series of artwork of ‘cocktail ladies’ by Kerkar’s father, celebrated artist Subodh Kerkar. 

A major attraction in the bar, however, is the ‘Sun and Moon’, a copper sculpture with a projection depicting the sun on the moon. “The sunset is the most photographed thing in the world, and I wanted this to be the most photographed artwork of Dali & Gala,” Kerkar explains. 

Wine and food 

Much like Dali’s philosophy, and the bar’s inspiration, the cocktail programme—majorly focusing on tequila, mezcal, and gin—seeks inspiration from adultery and romance. The bar menu is an “expression of freedom, much like art that is necessarily prefaced by not holding back,” says Raman, who designed the cocktail programme along with Arnold Hou, Head of Bar at Dali & Gala, and Room One in Goa. 

Interesting cocktails include Midnight Snack, a tequila-based drink made with guava, jalapeno, saline, bubbles, and ‘Dali’s Sperm’, a garnish in the shape of a sperm. Another interesting concoction is Disco Porn, a gin-based drink with passion fruit, vanilla, citrus, and an AI-generated suggestive topper. 

The food, much like Kerkar and Raman’s other project, Sopo, features Burmese cuisine, but in a tapas format. Developed by Chef Yong of Sopo, the show-stoppers are Burmese Crispy Prawns with Tamarind Soy; Mad-Yum Chicken Basil, a take on tom-yum chicken with basil;  Raw Mango on Crack, a raw mango cold salad served on a bed of in-house crackers; and Chicken Skewers. 

Since the owners wanted guests to focus more on the cocktails while sharing bar bites, the mains are limited yet satisfying. Think Burmese Fried Rice, Burmese Tealeaf Rice, Black Sesame Noodles and Spicy Mala Shan Gaw Noodles. 

The menu also features a ‘Sex on chocolate’ dessert, but the chef is still ‘figuring out what that would be!’, a server informs me. 

Besides the immersive decor and artwork, what truly stands out at Dali & Gala is its hospitality—if you ever find yourself lost and spoiled with choices, the servers know exactly what to get you. And there’s a little Gala bowl that never runs out of free ‘chakna’. 

Timings: 5 PM to 1 AM (recommend booking a table in advance) 

Cost for two: Rs 4,000 (including alcohol)

(The author was invited for a meal at the bar.)