D'Bell

Modern Indian restaurant, D’Bell cuts somewhat of a posh figure along its North Canal row of sunglasses and fish wholesalers. The concept, clad in a breezy-with-a-touch-of-chic palette of white walls, gold lattices and vintage-styled mercury glass mirrors, hails originally from Mumbai, but has been updated for the local cosmopolitan audience, pulling back on the heavier, ghee-rich curries more commonly found in Indian home cooking.

Still, even with a healthier slant, D’Bell’s affordable cuisine is as rich in texture and flavour as their calorie-defying counterparts, with craveable curries like its Kerala fish curry ($18) and vegetarian option of amritsari dal ($12). Tandoori options like the tawa wali fish – Chennai Express ($22) feature briney-rich fish cubes draped in a coconut and curry paste and juicy, signature New Zealand wagyu-rolled D’Bell Kofta Kebab ($18) benefit from the restaurant’s international outlook with the use of premium meats.

D’Bell’s meals are made even more accessible at lunch time, with three-course Western and Indian set lunch options ($15 each) – the former features a soup, fish dish and brownie, while the Indian option serves up a glass of thick lassi, chicken or vegetarian biryani and sweet gulab dessert.

Upstairs, a sultrier bar that speaks to D’Bell’s Indian ethnicity serves a small selection of cocktails with Indian ingredients like masala thrown in for zing, and after work drinks in an opulently decked-out main room. A brightly-coloured, carpeted private room can be sectioned off for private parties for up to 30 people. Natasha Hong