Over the past five years, Indian Cafe Racer has become one of Birmingham’s most talked-about Indian restaurants. What began as a passion project in the back of The Duke of Wellington on Bristol Street has grown into a city favourite, celebrated for its authentic regional dishes and vibrant street-food flavours. Now, with the opening of Indian Cafe Racer 2.0, the journey enters an exciting new chapter. The new space offers the same much-loved menu that has earned a loyal following, while introducing an exceptional bar and cocktail experience.
Here at Nickolls & Perks, we are proud to have been working directly with Indian Cafe Racer as they create a drinks programme designed to complement the bold and diverse flavours of India. We were thrilled to chat with Lorenzo Pilon (Bar Manager) & Azad Kayes (Restaurant Owner) and hear more about the past, present & future for Indian Cafe Racer.
Q: Azad can you give our readers a quick introduction to your restaurant and where the idea for a full cocktail program came from?
A. Being an Indian restaurant, we are lucky, almost spoiled when it comes to spices. For us they are more than ingredients, they are bridge between our kitchen and our bar. From day one, Indian Cafe Racer was meant to be lively, a little loud, and full of character. Beer has always been a cult favorite in the local curry house, and that was never going to change. But when I met Lorenzo back in 2016, it felt like the missing piece clicked into place. I knew we could push things further and build something really special together. At the Duke of Wellington, we gave it everything we could, but the space just did not allow the vision to fully breathe. The balance between restaurant and bar was not quite right.
So we made a bold decision: to create Indian Cafe Racer 2.0, a place where the bar sit side by side, constantly exchanging ideas, stories and inspiration. Right at the heart of it all are our customers. They see the energy up close: the controlled chaos, the clink of ice, the shake of tins and the rhythm of a busy service. Behind the bar are our mixologists, though I prefer to call them mad scientists: experimenting, refining, and bringing flavors to life in liquid form. The bar was always part of the Indian Cafe Racer dream. We just needed the right space to finally do its justice.
Q: Lorenzo can you share a bit about yourself and how you became a cocktail specialist?
A. My name is Lorenzo Pilon, Bar Manager at Indian Cafe Racer and I moved to England from Treviso, Italy, around 10 years ago. I first got into this industry while studying at University in Padua, like many people do, to help pay for my studies and rent. Gradually, it became a real passion of mine because I was lucky enough to work with people who genuinely loved this profession and inspired me to keep exploring and learning something new every day. Very early on, I realized that the aspect of hospitality that fascinated me the most was mixology, so I started attending masterclasses – I still remember one Masterclass with Simone Caporale (from Artesian, London at that time) in Milan back in 2014 or 2015 – and training courses. I have also bought a large number of mixology books to stay up to date and better understand the direction in which the industry was evolving.
Starting out in very basic venues in Italy, I then moved on to working in restaurants, cocktail bars and luxury private members’ clubs in Mayfair. I can honestly say I’ve experienced almost every type of bar environment. Today my goal is to show Birmingham- and beyond- that at Indian Cafe Racer you can eat great food but also enjoy truly high-quality cocktails.
Q. What’s your favourite spirit to work with, and why?
A. I’ve always had a real passion for tequila and the agave world because I find these spirits incredibly complex and expressive. What fascinates me the most is how different styles can offer completely different flavor experiences while still sharing the same agave identity. From Tequila Blanco with his fresh and vegetal notes to Extra Anejo with his rich and refined taste, from Aguardiente with his rustic and intense character to Mezcal with his complex, earthy and smoky taste. That diversity and depth are exactly why I love exploring agave spirits so much.
Q. What are some of your current bestselling cocktails?
A. MADHUBALA: A cocktail based on Distilled Raspberry and Raspberry Eau de Vie, combined with Cocchi Vermouth Extra Dry, Vetiver and again Lacto Fermented Raspberry, before being balanced by the freshness of Green Cardamom and Jasmin and by the acidity of Verjus.
HOUSE OLD FASHIONED: A cocktail built around a blend of Woodford Reserve Bourbon and Sazerac Rye that combines with Pandan leaf, Black Cardamom and Red Miso cordial to create a rich savory profile. The drink is then given a silky texture through a milk-washing process, which further softens and rounds the cocktail.
Q. Do you have a personal favourite cocktail on the menu at the moment?
I would say Tiger Rides Bike. As the name suggests, the drink is all about balancing ingredients that, at first glance, might not seem to work together, but once carefully combined create an incredible and unique harmonious result.
The idea came from wanting to create a cocktail with toasted and nutty notes, such as Black sesame and Amazake, while still maintaining freshness and bright acidity. From there came the concept of working with Aguardiente La Venenosa, Black Sesame Liquor – whose alcoholic strength we further enhance using Neutral Grain Spirit 69.9%ABV, which is then Fat-washed with toasted sesame oil to amplify its flavor – Clarified Amazake using Agar Agar and a Dill Cordial.
Q. One of my personal favourites from your menu is the Mango Sassy – can you tell us a little about how it’s made, the spirits used within it, and what makes it so unique?
A. Mango Sassy is my interpretation of the classic Indian drink Mango Lassi. With this cocktail I wanted to recreate the same flavor profile you would experience when drinking a traditional mango lassi, but naturally in an alcoholic version. The main ingredients are Desi Daru Alphonso Mango vodka, Mango Liqueur Briottet and fresh Mango Syrup, balanced with Mancino Secco vermouth and Acqua Bianca liqueur by Salvatore Calabrese. The drink is then lifted by the freshness of Green Cardamom Cordial, Rose Water and Clarified Lemon Juice. Finally the key ingredient of the cocktail is Yoghurt, which we use for a washing process in order to give the drink a richer and more complex texture.
Q. Is there a food pairing with one of your cocktails that people might not expect, but works brilliantly.
A. Gobi Manchurian Cauliflower with Satay Cocktail ( Peanut Butter Fat Washed El Dorado 3, Lemongrass Cordial, Clarified White Miso). This food pairing works because the Gobi Manchurian Cauliflower and the cocktail share an intense aromatic structure, rich in contrast between sweetness, acidity, umami and spice. The crispy fried cauliflower, coated in sweet & sour sauce, finds balance in the smoothness of the peanut butter rhum, which adds a toasted and creamy note capable of complementing the fried component of the dish without becoming too heavy.
The Lemongrass Cordial brings freshness and a citrusy element that recalls the pungent and spice notes typical of Indo-Chinese cuisine, while Clarified White Miso enhances the umami character of the Gobi Manchurian sauce, creating a seamless flavor connection between food and drink. In addition, the combination of the cocktail’s sweetness and the light fermented savoriness of the miso helps balance the spicy and acidic elements of the dish, leaving the palate clean and ready for the next bite.
Q. …And Finally, if you could have a drink with any person, dead or alive, who would it be – and what would you serve them?
A. If I could choose, I would drink something with my dad. Sadly, he passed away seven years ago – far too soon, and far too young. He never really approved of my decision to work in hospitality; he did hope for something “different” for me. But at the same time, ever since I was a child, he always pushed me to chase my dreams. So I suppose I can’t say I listened to him completely.. Yet in a way, I ended up doing exactly what he wanted for me.
What would I serve him? Nothing! He did not drink alcohol. But if I had the chance, I’d simply stand there in front of him, just like in my childhood memories, while he sat on the sofa playing Pink Floyd songs on his guitar. And me? I’d be sipping Tequila, of course! Because in the end, I believe hospitality is simply about sharing moments – where the drink itself is only the frame around it.
It was great to speak to Lorenzo and Azad and delve deeper into their background and philosophy. Don’t forget to check out the restaurant and sample some of Lorenzo’s amazing cocktails.
Indian Cafe Racer
88-90 Bristol St, Birmingham B5 7AH