Sober by design: India’s food-forward restaurants ditch the wine list

For many diners, a night out begins with scanning the wine list. But at a growing number of restaurants across India, there isn’t one. Instead, restaurateurs are putting their food — and increasingly, creative zero-proof drinks — at the centre of the experience.

A Neapolitan trattoria has opened its doors in Bengaluru, offering Napoli’s famed Panuozzo (pizza sandwich), Charcoal Spaghetti with Garlic Butter Lobster, and Burrata and Nduja Ravioli, among many other dishes. A diner’s first instinct? To scan the menu for wine. But at Serious Slice, there isn’t one.

For restaurateur Anirudh Kheny, leaving alcohol off the menu has been a deliberate decision — a food-forward approach, rather than a bar-led one.

Tracing this trend, Burma Burma, a speciality Burmese restaurant and tea room with a pan-India presence, may well have set the precedent when it launched in 2014. In the past two years alone, non-alcoholic beverages have grown from three to eight per cent of its sales — enough motivation to debut a new zero-proof cocktail menu at its latest Mumbai outpost in Palladium Mall.

The menu highlights Burmese ingredients such as laphet (fermented tea leaves), tamarind, jaggery, kaffir lime, and green tea.

More recently, premium dining spaces like Nãvu, Kopitiam Lah, Riko, Kebapci, and Kalpaney (all in Bengaluru) have opened their doors without alcohol menus, again by choice. Zero-proof, or zero-ABV (alcohol by volume) drinks, have long been part of beverage menus, but now they are enjoying an elevated, central place.

What’s driving the change

Examining the role of spirits’ menus in restaurants, Avinash Kapoli, founder of Kompany Hospitality, says: “Traditionally, alcohol menus have been considered strong revenue drivers — with their high margins, pairing potential, and ability to create a ‘complete’ dining experience. But in the last few years, restaurants like Kalpaney (which I co-founded) and Kopitiam Lah have shown that when the food is exceptional, guests come for the cuisine, not the bar programme.” The shift extends beyond zero-ABV cocktails. Younger diners are increasingly gravitating towards coffee raves, curated coffee tastings, matcha ceremonies, and gourmet tea programmes. According to Kapoli, “These formats deliver the same sense of ritual and social connection as a bar — but without alcohol. They are fast becoming aspirational lifestyle choices.”

Sometimes the decision is pragmatic. “Steep licensing fees, complex regulations, and bureaucratic delays often deter restaurateurs from pursuing full liquor licences,” says hospitality professional Aslam Gafoor. “Instead, these establishments focus on their culinary strengths, allowing food to take centre stage.”

Kheny agrees, adding, “India’s on-premise economics are shaped by state policy. Liquor licensing and compliance are costly and volatile. While gross margins on drinks often outpace food, venue-level net revenue depends on the licence footprint, taxes, and operating discipline. In India, policy shocks — fee hikes, dry days, tax changes — can quickly shrink bar revenues. The old line, ‘the bar pays for everything,’ is not universally true anymore.”

Ground realities reflect this sentiment. Increasingly, there is a growing space between “wanting a drink” and “wanting alcohol.” Scarlett House, which recently opened in Juhu, Mumbai, has tapped into this awareness with a dedicated Hydration Bar. Alongside cocktails, they serve flavoured waters, functional coolers, and smoothie-style blends — designed for consumers who want alternatives, without defaulting to coffee or alcohol.

At Nãvu in Bengaluru, alcohol has never been considered necessary to make the experience feel complete. Guests come for the flavours on the plate, conversations at the table, and the ease of the space. Co-founder Kanishka Sharma observes a gradual increase in restaurants choosing to go non-alcoholic: “You see it most in places where the focus is very defined — whether that’s a particular style of cooking, a wellness-led approach, or a chef-driven menu that lets the food do the heavy lifting. We’re also seeing more diners consciously choosing sobriety and actively seeking restaurants that don’t serve alcohol. That number is steadily growing.”

For others, cultural identity plays a defining role. At Kopitiam Lah, the decision to exclude alcohol was deliberate, rooted in the heritage of the kopitiam. In Malaysia, kopitiams are community spaces where families gather over food and conversation. Alcohol has never been part of that experience. Here too, the beverage programme isn’t an afterthought — it is crafted with as much complexity, depth, and tradition as any bar menu.

A question of resources

For restaurateurs like Aasim Shah, founder and MD of Kofteci FoodKraft Pvt Ltd, which operates Riko and Kebapci, the choice comes down to focus.

“I’ve always wanted the spotlight on food, the story behind each dish, and the experience it creates. Beyond regulatory hurdles, alcohol service demands resources: skilled bartenders, proper bar management, and constant attention to maintain standards. That requires significant energy and investment, which can be challenging,” he says.

Looking ahead

Going alcohol-free — whether fully or through equal focus on non-alcoholic offerings — is becoming integral to how India’s dining scene evolves. The drivers are varied: shifting customer preferences, wellness trends, regulatory complexity, cultural identities, and the ambitions of new restaurant ventures.

Salman Sait, co-founder of Investorant, a fractional F&B investment platform, points out that traditional premium dining — particularly in five-star hotels — will continue to rely on alcohol menus for revenue. “These establishments cater to business clients, social gatherings, and entertainment. The bar programme is critical for them. That said, demographics are shifting. Diners are now seeking food-forward experiences. Zero-ABV beverages let diners sip something elevated without feeling compelled to order alcohol. These drinks are not revenue replacements yet, but they are a growing complement.”

As Gafoor adds, “It’s likely that more restaurants — especially those specialising in regional cuisines, wellness-focused concepts, and boutique chef-driven formats — will choose to forgo alcohol entirely. Such establishments appeal to health-conscious diners, families, multigenerational groups, and cultural or religious communities that value teetotal dining. By doing so, they align with their audiences’ preferences while carving out a distinct identity in a competitive premium dining market.”

Trends, however, remain cyclical and unpredictable. The only constant is the diner’s appetite for innovation, novelty, personalised hospitality, and uncompromising quality.