Rohit Barker is betting big on house and Latin music with his new club in the heart of Bengaluru

Bahati is RJ and DJ Rohit Barker’s new spot in Bengaluru. We chat with the artiste about the city’s evolving nightlife, its taste in music, and leopard spotting in Masai Mara

Published - October 09, 2026 12:38 pm IST

Bahati on Kasturba Road has stunning views of the city’s skyline | Photo Credit: Ravichandran N

Who better to get the pulse of the city just right, than RJ and DJ Rohit Barker. With three decades of music programming under his belt, multiple cocktail bars and the country’s longest running dance music show The HotMix on Radio Indigo, Rohit is ready for more. Bahati on Kasturba Road is his newest venture, a nightclub and lounge all rolled into one, that comes with a view to kill and naturally, great music.

The RJ met his new business partners, all wildlife lovers, in the jungle. “In Masai Mara, there was this one leopard that caught our eye. Her name was Bahati and she was the only blue-eye leopard. So, when we were talking about opening a space, and someone said the name Bahati and I was like that’s it!” Spread across the 17th and 18th floor, Bahati that means good luck in Swahili, takes this wild ride and gives it a Bangalorean spin.

Rohit Barker, RJ, DJ and co-founder of Bahati | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

The 17th floor is more geared towards a sit-down space with low seating and soft lighting. The focal point of Bahati is on the upper deck of the building, with the dance floor with the DJ console. Enveloping the space are sweeping vistas of central Bengaluru: the canopy of Cubbon Park, the glittering Kingfisher Tower and the striking Chinnaswamy stadium.

With Swahili names, the cocktails are styled after the ‘wild’ theme of Bahati. Chui (Swahili for leopard) combines reposado tequila, mezcal with charred pineapple, Kanthari chillies and lime. Maridadi, named after the Swahili word for elegant, is a classy number with Scotch whisky, coconut, rooibos tea and pandan.

Designed by Chef Anil J Nair, the food at Bahati is contemporary and fun. “The food is not classic or authentic. For example, I thought of using Mangaluru’s ghee roast in a unique way. So, we have added it to gol gappas,” the chef tells us. Ghee roast chicken puris are topped with a fresh curd rice mousse in this one-of-a-kind dish. “We have a dish called Sunflower. It is our take on tandoori pineapple. We serve it with a black olive murrabba and a feta mousse. The entire dish is presented like a flower. It is a visual delight.”

The bar at Bahati | Photo Credit: Ravichandran N

“Bengaluru’s nightlife can rival with anywhere in the world”

A true Bangalorean and one who has been watching the city's nightlife evolve, Rohit says, “Bengaluru has now turned into what I always knew it would turn into. Which is a very cosmopolitan city. There are spots here that rival any in the world. From a nightlife perspective, from a food perspective, from a music perspective. The two of us sitting here and we look behind us, it could be anywhere. This could be the skyline in Manhattan. And we are spoilt for choice. We can have the world cuisine.” Talking about live music, he adds, Bengaluru has a superb line-up of music acts coming up in the next few months. “I just wish we had a large-scale venue for music. For instance, we could do things at the cricket stadium here. But I am really proud of the city and its music. Hopefully it is all just upwards from here.”

Bahati will be seeing a mix of Latin, Afro and house music. Rohit, and his friend and fellow DJ Nikhil Chinapa get behind the console this weekend. “The Bengaluru audience knowns exactly what it wants whether it is techno, or commercial or drum and bass. I have always wanted to make music my livelihood, and I have been blessed to do that for 30 years now.”

Cost for two ₹5,000. Bahati is located on Kasturba Road. For more details, call 9886099119

Published - October 09, 2026 12:38 pm IST

food / Bengaluru / The Hindu MetroPlus / pubs, discotheque and bars / music

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