Afternoons in March can be gruelling. On one such sultry one, we walked into Portal, a new bistro-bar in Kala Ghoda by hospitality entrepreneur Punam H Singh. The space moves seamlessly from breakfast and coffee to small plates, wine, and cocktails by evening. It’s hard to tell there was a dive bar there before: dark and gloomy. The current avatar breathes light. Singh’s brief was clear: create a neighbourhood bistro that feels elevated but still homely. And, because it is in the art precinct, it should reflect history without feeling like a museum.

Punam Singh