Keralam’s favourite bar snacks reinterpreted in refreshing ways at Repeat, Kochi’s newest restobar

Some new openings create a stir much ahead of the official launch. Repeat, “the friendly neighbourhood bar”, on the fourth floor of Cochin Palace Hotel on KP Vallon Road, has achieved that. Their beef taco is already the talk of the town. A Spanish interpretation of Keralam’s BDF (beef dry fry), the tiny chunks of beef, wrapped in taco, have to be dunked in a flavour-bomb of gravy before you eat them, suggests Antony Jose, founder of Tony’s Kitchen, who brings his magic to Repeat. The taco hits all the right notes and I cannot stop talking about it for the rest of the evening. 

The drinks at the bar | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Designed as a lounge bar with laid-back seating and dim lighting, Repeat exudes the warmth of a familiar space. With a seating capacity of 75, it is well spaced out. “That is what we want our guests to feel — a sense of familiarity. A watering hole that grows on people and soon becomes a favourite spot,” says owner Nitin Simon, whose chain of cafes, Coz, is a much-loved haunt in the city. Repeat is a partnership with Shouri Akkineni of Yaegar Hospitality. 

A Malayali from Chennai, Nitin rediscovered his roots while on a business trip to Kochi. “I fell in love with Kochi. The water and Nature did something to my brain,” he laughs. “Though Kochi is now brimming with drinking and dining options, it still has the space for more.”