Bar Goa isn't the Indian restaurant you might expect. Modern and sleek, with an abundance of charisma, this is a place where arresting food and cocktails demand attention, and invite diners to linger.

A veteran of Toronto's dining scene, owner Hemant Bhagwani is a serial entrepreneur who, over the last two decades, made his name opening a slew of restaurants and food-based businesses.

From Amaya The Indian Room, his high-end Bayview Avenue spot, to a line of branded sauces, a flock of fast-casual restaurants, and more, Bhagwani has spent his career proving his considerable culinary and business chops.

Part of his new collection of post-pandemic restaurants, Bar Goa presents Bhagwani's expertise in a way that's fresh, new, and dramatic enough for the social-media set.

Yes, the food enough is reason to visit. Still, knowing his audience, Bhagwani has assembled a menu that includes cocktails garnished with silver leaf and dishes whose arrival is announced by plumes of dry ice billowing through the room. Each one is served in an intimate space kissed with glamour.

"First thing is to serve very good quality, flavourful food. We cannot compromise on that," he affirms. Adding that show-stopping presentations, "get the word out. It becomes a conversation."

Along with Bayview Village's Goa Indian Farm Kitchen, New York's Goa, and a planned Goa spin-off in Miami, Bar Goa is a restaurant inspired by the western Indian state's vibrancy, beauty, and, perhaps most of all, its varied cuisine.

"I spent some time there learning the vibe of Goa," says Bhagwani. A place chef calls "the Miami of India," Goa is known for its prolific food scene, steady influx of people and its diversity.

"Some of the dishes are very traditional but I've also created what people are loving there now," he explains, of the "robust and pungent" menu that leans heavily on chilis, vinegar and kokum.

"I don't call it a fusion, I call it a crossover," says Bhagwani, of his menu at Bar Goa. "That's what I would see that was happening [in Goa]. It was a distinct cuisine. I wanted to bring that to my own restaurant here."

With tasting menu ($110, $90 for vegetarian) and à la carte options, the menu at Bar Goa is as broad as the influences it draws upon. It jumps from vibrant Berry Chaat ($19) to succulent, seductive Punjabi Goat Shank ($29), with stops along the way for myriad fragrant, punchy, spicy bites.

Among those, is Lahori Chicken Tikka ($19), a dish with a stylish stance compared to more pedestrian versions. Marinated in yogurt, each tender morsel arrives atop a buttery pool with an Amul cheese and micro-green garnish.

Served with a trio of chutneys (mango mustard, strawberry chili, and fenugreek mint), the Legendary Lamb Chop ($19) is a dish that's been on chef's menus "for the last 22 years," he says. "I haven't changed the recipe... I could never take it off of my menu," he adds of the tandoori-charred starter seasoned with a proprietary blend of herbs and spices.

For his Chicken Masala Fry ($22), chef wanted to take a well-known dish and present it in a new way. "Indian food tends to be very stewy," he says, adding, "I wanted things to be very different in that sense." 

Sassy and taco-adjacent — thanks to coriander- and nigella seed-brushed naan — this handheld appetizer has oodles of the oomph Bhagwani loves to serve.

Spicy Prawn Ghee Toast ($22) arrives with a surprise tumbler of Miller High Life, a fact that delights diners — as well as Bhagwani. "You're expecting just the food and suddenly there's a drink there also," he enthuses. Tangy and sweet, with a noticeable amount of heat, you'll be glad of the cooling shot and the dish's sweet, milk-bread bed.

Light and aromatic, Crab Curry Rice ($28) easily impresses alone (thanks to toasted coconut and a generous garnish of sweet crab meat) but also performs admirably alongside some of the menu's saucier items.

A place that's as adept at fulfilling cocktail-based fantasies as it is at sating food cravings, Bar Goa boasts a beverage program that's nuanced, varied and meant to thrill.

"The cocktails here are exquisite but simple," explains bartender Alexander Reynolds. "They're easy to enjoy. The food and drinks here take you on a journey."

Begin the adventure with the layered, complex Journey to Goa ($22), made with Espolon Tequila Reposado, Del Maguey Vida Mezcal, Luxardo Maraschino, vanilla, coconut cordial and chocolate bitters.

Alternatively, you might settle in with the fruity, easy-drinking Khoya Cloud ($28) or a Paan Old Fashioned ($22), and revisit a trusted favourite transformed for a new audience.

With paan whisky, Nonino Quintessentia Amaro and manuka honey, this sips like the classic on a tropical vacation.

Already popular with diners, the Mirchi Negroni ($22) and Bar Goa Garibaldi ($18) pair magically with the kitchen's sophisticated creations.

Mixed with house-made Kashmiri-chili-infused gin, sweet vermouth, Campari and French vermouth, the bar's unique Negroni leans sweet or spicy, depending on its pairing.

With one of the team's select group of sweets, a Filter Espresso Martini ($20) makes the season's most covetable pairing.

Delicate and refined, with a light-as-air, chickpea flour base, Saffron Tart ($14) finds a bold partner in the spiced-rum spiked sipper.

Chef (who is also a trained sommelier) has crafted a wine list, meanwhile, that's populated with bottles that "are easy to drink with Indian food." The lengthy list will "keep growing," says Bhagwani, adding "I love my wines."

A place where quality carries every ounce of spectacle, Bar Goa balances modernity with tradition, creativity with attention to the classics.

Bar Goa is located at 36 Toronto Street.