Ai-generated image of Sir Swinton
Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob (1841–1917), was a writer, engineer and architect from the British Raj era. Landmarks like the Albert Hall Museum and the Rambagh Palace in Jaipur were his strokes of genius. Although he didn’t have a hand in designing the Swinton House on Gopinath Marg in Jaipur, he inspired the story it tells. Inside, there are AI portraits of Sir Swinton, puffing on a pipe, looking effortlessly stylish in his suave jacket and beret, overseeing the who’s who swaying to hip beats with a side of modern Indian bites and progressives cocktails.
The restaurant and lounge that opened in January this year, is divided into two spaces — The Yard and The Albion. While the aesthetic is new age, the structures and core of the building remains unchanged across the years with pillars and arched entryways.
“When we move into heritage buildings like this one, there is a rule to preserve at least 50% of its original form. The facade is untouched and several structures inside, like the wooden beams in the gallery, are still the same. It took around eight months to fully renovate the place,” says Sagar Nagpal, co-founder of The Swinton House. (Sagar is also the co-founder of Prankster in Chandigarh.) Although the heritage certificate for the haveli states that it is a 75-year-old property, Sagar notes that this used to be a neighbourhood where the British lived and the neighbours believe this haveli dates back 150 years.
The Yard
Explaining the format, he says, “To me this seems like a house shared by two brothers with two different personalities. While The Yard is a fun and casual area with Indian-inspired dishes, The Albion is more of an elegant speakeasy serving pan-Asian fare.”
The Yard, a 100-seater open courtyard, transformed into a chic Victorian-themed dining area with a contemporary allure, invites patrons to experience the booming nightlife of the Pink City.
Sassy Jamun
Time to party
On weekdays and Sundays, The Swinton house is the place to lounge as the team brings out their A game making innovative bites and fun drinks to go with it. “It is ideal to visit at any time of the day as we have al fresco and air-conditioned dining areas in the property,” shares Sagar. Every corner is made to be photogenic, mimicking styles of an English tea room and a cigar lounge with antique knick knacks.
As daylight fades, The Yard morphs into a playground for sundowner parties, its mechanical roof closing to reveal captivating light projections against the night sky. “On Fridays and Saturdays, the place is at max capacity, with around 700-750 people. Things get playful — lights are dim, music is loud and we use washers to put on a rave-like light show. There are not enough places in Jaipur giving this sort of a young and electrifying experience,” says Sagar. There are LED panels playing AI generated visuals to amplify the vibe of the party.
“Recently we hosted a sundowner party in collaboration with this event-management company called Hopshop. They bring us the crowd and we provide the experience. We get a good mix in terms of the demographic as there is room for everyone at Swinton. Guests above the age of 35 come in for good quality food and music and opt for an exclusive time. While our crowd pullers, the GenZ, spend a lot of time at The Yard grooving and enjoying themselves. They go for simple drinks and finger food, which is also easy on the pocket,” explains Sagar.
The Albion
The Albion is on the first floor, accessed through a narrow flight of stairs which is original to the haveli. It features opulent chandeliers, velvet-upholstered seats, quirky Renaissance-inspired installations and deep hues with the capacity to seat only 50 guests at a time.
Mary’s den
On the same floor there is Mary’s Den and Man’s Cave, speakeasy spaces with more chandeliers, private dining and comfortable beds. They cater solely to select guests, doubling as boarding rooms or secluded celebration venues for a premium. There are no other rooms on the property available for stay.
What’s on the menu
At the Yard, against a backdrop of black and white seaters and patterned tile floors, guests savor innovative concoctions like the Sassy Jamun, a spicy purple gin cocktail made with jamun and topped with yuzu foam and the Golden Dew, a refreshing turmeric-infused gin-based delight with elderflower cordial and a house cumin soda. It comes in a delicately crafted glass that resembles a swan with a long neck.
Golden Dew
“We had a lot of time to experiment with our beverages and are still learning. The potential of Indian ingredients to produce creative cocktails is exceptional. We have a vettiver highball which uses coffee vodka, home-infused vetiver cordial, bitter coffee demerara and citric acid. This is a hit among coffee lovers already. We also are keen on how these drinks go with food. The sassy jamun pairs very well with the many chaat-inspired bites on the menu ,” says Ankur Kashyap, beverage manager and mixologist.
Dabeli Wheels
A bright platter of avocado papdi chaat is brought in. The smooth vegetable puree replaces dahi offering a Mexican twist, but is just as creamy with generous amounts of spicy mint and tangy tamarind chutneys, topped with a shower of sev and a dollop of tangy blueberry sauce.
“We travelled across the country and abroad to find the right inspiration for the bites here. We put ourselves in the shoes of Swinton and thought, ‘what would a British officer of his rank try across the country’ and selected the best and most vibrant options. It has to be modern and innovative while being simple without losing the essence of India. So we looked into popular street food options. Take the spicy dabeli wheels for instance. It is a very popular dish in Gujarat and had a lot of potential to play with. There is no dry ice or gimmick here. You taste the dabeli and more. It is also very convenient to eat when you are on your feet on party nights,” says Prince Beniwal, head chef.
The spicy dabeli wheels are made of circles of toasted bread, a punchy potato mix with a lot of sev served on a plate of mint, garlic and tamarind chutney made to look like a Jackson Pollock painting. Pomegranates are sprinkled on top and roasted peanuts come on the side. We are also informed of an informal petition to serve these peanuts as bar snacks and we couldn’t agree more.
Paneer Mousse
Another interesting dish on the menu is the Paneer mousse on a pickled kataifi nest. The dough used to make the popular Middle-Eastern dessert is deep fried and carries a piece of delicately spiced, soft, tandoor-cooked paneer tikka topped with a generous swirl of a salty, spicy and tangy paneer and mascarpone mousse.
We also try the two-feet-long adana kebab served on slices of soft pita with pickled vegetables, grilled grapes, pomegranate pearls, a harissa and plain hummus. “This is one of our very popular orders during weekends or large parties. It can be daunting for a smaller group,” shares Prince. The moist kebab is fragrant with cumin, garlic and cinnamon and the harissa hummus is bold and creamy. Regardless, we hardly make a dent on the long, long dish.
The Albion
At The Albion, we try the Tokyo Highball, made with galangal gin, sakura acids and a homemade lemongrass soda. It is bright and savoury, pairing well with the hot garlic idli, a saucy, sweet and spicy dish with cocktail idlis.
Avocado and cucumber sushi
Apart from the several sushi and dimsum options, there are appetisers and big plates, from across the continent along with a customisable ‘make your own meal’ bowl that comes with a variety of sauce, rice or noodle and protein choices.
“There is a lot of charm in visiting a place like this, especially in a tier 2 city. This was one of the main reasons I was able to convince my staff, who were working in Mumbai and Delhi, in marquee restaurants and bars, to move here,” says Sagar. He adds, “Jaipur is just beginning to party.”
The Swinton house is at B, 20, Gopinath Marg, Jayanti Market, New Colony, Jaipur. Here a meal for two including alcohol costs ₹5,000 (approx)
