I came here for a happy hour and we had a decent time. Their happy hour runs from 4-6p which gives folks to the opportunity to enjoy some deals post-work! Overall, we stuck to the happy hour menu which had a few options including 4 cocktails ($11) and there were a few snack options at $6. I believe they had some deals on beer/wine but Im more into cocktails so I didnt pay too much attention to those offerings! The drinks (sangria, margarita, and delayed orgasm) were all delicious as were the snacks (naan bites & fries). While we didn't stray from the happy hour menu, Mortar & Pestle is connected to the Curry Up Now so they have a a huge menu to select from if youre feeling hungry. We did notice that the service was a little slow and it took a while to get a drink. We also felt slightly rushed by the staff. It almost felt like they wanted us to order more or leave. read more

Great spot for a night cap, I like coming here for late night drink before going home. I especially like getting the Chai with Parle G biscuits, or a fruity drink! The service is nice at the bar and sitting at the counter is a relaxing time. They recently got new chairs too, they're comfy and easier to get in and out of. read more

Mortar & Pestle Bar - Chai with Parle G - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

Attached to Curry Up Now, the Mortar & Pestle Bar is a fine accompanying business. While having our meal, we were able to order unique and tasty cocktails. We tried four cocktails, including the namesake drink which was fantastically elegant. Served in a mortar, the signature "pestle" is a cinnamon stick that is lit on fire and served like a aromatic incense stick. I had to watch myself closely as I took sips so that I wouldn't get singed by the embers! Another fun drink was the Chaatgpt, which has a fairly strong tamarind taste. We loved the Puri Cracker garnishment on top and it's something you don't typically see in a cocktail! We would love to try more drinks on our next return. read more

We tried two cocktails at this occasion: the Holi Bhang, a refreshing dark rum-based drink with rosemary, lemon-verbena, sage, aquafaba, and orange bitters, and the Inflight Smoker, a crisp, citrusy, and smoky riff on the classic Paloma. The bartender told us that their mixologist crafts all the drinks across locations and rotates them regularly, so there's always something new to try. read more

Mortar & Pestle Bar - Inflight Smoker - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

We visited Mortar & Pestle Bar on a Sunday evening and found it mostly empty. I thought it was a stand alone bar, but it was actually located inside of Curry Up Now, and the interior was very spacious. The bar itself was well-decorated, with a colorful, contemporary vibe. Our server was super friendly and attentive, and provided great recommendations. For drinks, I got one of the daily cocktail specials - something with rum and lemonade. It came in a large pitcher-like glass, and tasted refreshing (not very strong). My friend chose the Pornstar Martini, which came out glittery. Both were pretty good! For food, we shared the Holy Moly Fried Ravioli and Sexy Fries with Lamb. The Holy Moly Fried Ravioli was tasty and super unique. It came with tikka masala dip and was perfect for sharing. The Sexy Fries were absolutely massive! Our server had recommended lamb, but other protein choices were available. The lamb was flavorful, but really spicy, and there just wasn't enough mozzarella to cut through that spice. We ended up taking half of it to-go. Overall, good for drinks and snacks - would return to try more! read more

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Food: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Ambiance: 4/5 Been wanted to try Indian cuisine, and this place has a nice fusion twist according to my son's girlfriend, who took me here for my birthday on a Friday night before 6pm, and it's not too busy. We were seated right away without reservation. A laidback and fun atmosphere to hang out with friends and family, we had a great experience. We started with the pretty cocktails which have nice presentations. Can't go wrong with ordering any dishes here. Every dish is full with flavors and colors. I requested the butter chicken to be extra spicy so it came out perfectly delicious and beautiful. We will would be back to try other dishes. read more

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To be honest, I have no issues. It's not amazing but I'm happy with my experiences here. The drinks are fun and tasty and it's pairs with the Indian food that are served in the connected restaurant (this is basically the bar for the Curry Up Now restaurant). Let me start with the first gripes and then end with flashing colors. The issues are that when sitting at the far end of the bar, it takes a bit to be noticed so there could be a wait for that. The benefit is that the have an extensive menu so if you need time to choose your meal/drink, you got plenty of time. The other gripe is that they use these dried sparkly orange wheels are drink garnishes. I don't preferred dried sparkly garnishes as they can take away from the drink and is mainly an Instagram bait but I will say, if you don't care then it works. What I do like is that it's in an area where parking is easy in the free parking garage and the bartenders are nice. They dealt with an unruly drunk customer well and with poise so I have no issues with this place. As long as you are ok with the higher prices of a date night cocktail then come over and stop by for a drink. I recommend. read more

Mortar & Pestle Bar - The Mortar & Pestle - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

My wife and I met up here for drinks, but then realized there was a yummy Indian food menu too. Everything we had was awesome! For food, the tikka masala and Rogan Josh were both fantastic. The chips and guacamole were chunky and delicious. And then came the drinks! Our bartender Sodara made the most amazing drinks! Porn star martinis with boba and glitter! We had several other cocktails and all were wonderful. read more

Mortar & Pestle Bar - Drink menu - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

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The drinks are very good. Carmen is super sweet and informative. The bar has a very good vibe ! read more

Mortar & Pestle Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

I love coming here for Happy Hour with my coworkers for a drink over a shared appetizer/entree. It can be a bit quiet during the weekday and I wish the restaurant was a bit more cozy and closed in. I just feel like everyone is in on my conversation when I talk... lol. I started coming here because I've been loving Indian food and this is one of my go-to places. Drinks are actually okay but the food are so good. The "bar" is attached to Curry Up Now so it feels like more a family friendly restaurant than a bar. I would only come here for drinks and apps. read more

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Had a great time, as usual. Francesca served us well with her thoughtful cocktails. What we didn't like was that they didn't have the Amarena cherries for the terrific Cherry Old Fashioned. I look forward to having the espresso martini next time - hope they have the espresso syrup in stock. I say this because I notice they are running out more of the draft beers each time we come. Gotta fix the issues with the liquor orders. read more

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The location is convenient and the parking was no issue at all. It's joined with an Indian food restaurant which was really nice. The drinks are cute and they spray a little perfume on it prior to serving. Never seen that before. However, the drinks weren't really amazing. Our server was super sweet and I could tell she was working hard. Love to see that. read more

If you want to smell like curry, or have to dry-clean all of your clothes after a fun night out, Mortar and Pestle is the place for you. From the moment we stepped inside, the strong scent coming from the adjacent restaurant (Curry Up Now) was unavoidable, as they share the same restaurant space. The cocktails here were fantastic. The Perennials & Poison and Primm's Island had a delicious combination of flavors, good amount of alcohol (vodka, gin, and rum), and were a great balance of fruity, tart, and bitter. And the presentation and garnish for our drinks were creative and intriguing, especially my bf's Nimbu Pani Puri, with a crisp, perfectly round pani puri shell floating on the surface. The bartender was friendly and working hard, though the wait was long later into the evening as it got busier. In fact, after already waiting for a bit as we sat at the bar, another employee walked up to us outside the bar to take our drink order cuz he said the bartender was swamped (even though the place didn't look very busy). The ambience here is lacking. It's a casual restaurant atmosphere where the bar is more of an afterthought... permeated with potent curry odor... At least the drinks are good. read more

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Had a great time and Elizabeth helped us navigate the drinks and offered Japanese whiskey and other options. Highly recommend it.

Great bar within Curry Up Now. Atmosphere is laid back industrial with a touch of class, making it a wonderful place to pass away a few hours either solo or with friends. Had the shrimp tacos and rogan josh bowls, both of which were delicious and I'd highly recommend them. (Rogan Josh is fairly spicy with a heat that continues building. I'm a pepper head and needed to take breaks towards the end of the dish.) Best part of the experience was Branden, who's super fun and knowledgeable, definitely mixologist who has amazing off-menu drinks. Will definitely be returning, again. read more

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I RARELY leave reviews, but I feel compelled after experiencing the supreme customer service of Fernando, our bartender at Mortar & Pestle. We live two hours away and are seriously considering driving back for his _amazing_ cocktails and customer service. All his food recommendations (the food is perfection, btw!) and cocktail guidance made my work trip a vacation destination. HIGHLY recommend, and make sure you come on a night Fernando is behind the bar! Also, the camaraderie and professionalism of all the staff is singular... Fernando is just extra special. read more

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Amazing food and nice ambience. Free chai at happy hour with Parle G. One of the best vada pav in bay area. Raj our server was a great host and recommended good food and drinks!! read more

Mortar & Pestle Bar - Vada Pav - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

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The service is great and the cocktails are very creative. Having said that, I feel that the items are pretty high in price for what you get.

I've been coming to this place for years and it is always amazing. I would rank Mortar & Pestle one of the best, unique places to get a drink in the South Bay. Their cocktails are first class and incredibly creative. Plus how amazing is it to have Curry Up Now's kitchen across the way. Kudos to Brenden for making me fall in love with this place all over again. read more

Mortar & Pestle Bar - SUMMER WHIP - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

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Amazing drinks, great food, and the bartender Lee was super friendly and awesome! Will come back again.

Brianna was amazing last night!! She truly knows how to keep the guests happy. She kept checking on us and never left us alone. Brianna also has great taste for food so she gave us some really good food suggestions. Since this was our second dinner (friday night) we only ordered Kachori chaat and wada pav. Both were delicious. Pineapple fizz is a must if you love coconut flavor. Thank you Brianna for such a lovely time. We will be back soon. read more

Mortar & Pestle Bar - Pineapple Fizz - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

Came here to try the cocktails as it had been in my bookmarks for a while. Like other reviews say, it can hard to find parking since there are limited spots. Mortar & Pestle shared a space with Curry Up Now but you can sit anywhere. If you want to order a drink though, you'll have to do it at the bar and they'll bring the drink to you. Service was pretty fast and they even have a fun robot deliver food. As for the drink, I got the Strip & Get Naked ($15) and if you check in on Yelp, you can get $2 off your cocktail! The other drinks ordered weren't as strong (Lost in Translation, and Junkyard Heart) so I thought this was perfect for me. I will say though, that the drink size is a bit on the smaller size, but they also have a list of cocktails that are just $10. Overall, a pretty good place to come with friends and chat as it's a pretty casual atmosphere. read more

Mortar & Pestle Bar - Strip & Get Naked, In Flight Smoker, Junkyard Heart, Lost in Translation - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

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Food Amazing! Service was Amazing! Ambiance Amazing! Came to Mortar & Pestle and can't believe I have not ever been here! Brandon and Francesca made our experience unforgettable! Brandon made a lime drop that is now one of my favorite drinks! It's been awhile since I've had Indian food and man their food was outstanding! Will definitely come back here again! Great spot to hang with friends, have really great food and dranks! Totally recommend folks to check out Mortar and Pestle! read more

Easy to be in a bar atmosphere and get food if you want it without shifting into a restaurant atmosphere. Perfect for after work happy hour.

Not shown: electric lemonade- tasted similar to a Moscow mule, pretty solid drink The butter chicken was great imo. I haven't had much exposure to Indian food but this was delightful to me. FYI: Happy hour is daily from 4-6pm, it got pretty crowded around 9:30 read more

Mortar & Pestle Bar - Makhani butter chicken bowl - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

Went here to vibe with a couple of friends after work, It was a fantastic experience that I will always remember. It goes without saying that our bartender that night made our night exceptionally better and more enjoyable than ever. Cant wait to have another amazing experience next time we go. Thankyouuu Francesca for making our night immensely better. read more

I went here on Saturday because I was looking for a cocktail bar. Never been here. Fun music and atmosphere. Bring friends! Food next door at CurryUpNow is not fancy but it was good food and great value. I will be back! Highly recommend coming with a group and sharing food read more

Located inside of Curry Up Now, Mortar and Pestle Bar is a great place to spend Happy Hour! They have Happy Hour deals every single day from 3-6pm, which is pretty amazing! They just launched a new drink menu with lots of fun cocktails. If you're looking for something a little fruity and tropical, get the Vazhakulam! It's a Hawaiian style pineapple punch with rum, heirloom alchermes, pineapple amaro, pineapple, cherry, vanilla, and mahalo bitters. I also tried the Summer Margarita, which includes mescal, tequila, heirloom crème de flora, lime, chipotle-cacao bitters. LOVE THEIR BAR BITES!! Their Nacho Papa's Nachos are my FAVORITE, hands down! They use house made totopos tortilla chips (so perfectly light and crispy!), cheese, pico kachumber, jalapeno, and butter chicken (or paneer). They're seriously the best Indian nachos you'll ever taste! Tender, delicious chicken with a little heat from the jalapenos. I could go on about these forever! Their Tacos are really tasty too! They use corn tortillas, pico kachumber, and your choice of filling. Both the aloo gobi and chicken were good! I'd recommend trying both, since an order comes with 3 tacos. Their Holy Moly Fried Ravioli is another fun appetizer! The Tikka Masala Dip really makes these fried cheese ravioli stand out. read more

Mortar & Pestle Bar - Vazhakulam and Summer Margarita - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

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This bar is located inside Curry Up Now which is why there is a discrepancy in hours. If this place say 'open' before 5PM it's referring to Curry Up Now. You can still enjoy their cocktails through Curry Up Now, but it's prepared as take out.. no pretty pics! Parking is very scarce in the area. There are a few 2h spots up front but the rest of the area is street parking for 1h blocks. I had their tropical sunset, red/white sangria, and house red. Not bad for a hang out spot. My friends and I were served by a gentleman who was on his third day of training. If you're reading this, keep it up! read more

Mortar & Pestle Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

Exceptional drinks at Mortar and Pestle! This unique bar infuses Indian flavors into their cocktails, creating a delightful fusion of taste and culture. However, the bar's design could be improved as there are too many doors, resulting in a somewhat disjointed ambiance and frequent disruptions as people enter and leave. It's so f**** cold when people/guests do this and I think it's a bit rude when there are clearly signs that they should use a separate entrances. When we were there, this one dude was entering and leaving for a smoke multiple times and he couldn't care less he was being so disruptive. He smelled like a chimney every time he walked in, along with bringing in a flux of cold air. (We were sitting by the door). Not the bar's fault. Just nature of design of this bar. Bar seating also not comfortable as it's mostly consisted of mostly high tables and stools. And the only comfortable seating area is right by 2 f*** doors. Despite this, the outstanding drinks make Mortar and Pestle a standout. Food also amazing, though not traditional Indian food. They are a chain so you have a bit of a corporate feel, but definitely worth it for fusion and unique drinks. read more

The best time to come to mortar and pestle bar if you want some quick eats with great flavor is during happy hour time during Monday through Fridays from 4 to 6 PM. This will give you a chance to explore their street food appetizers. Here is my review on them. KEEMA PAV (4/5) ground lamb with potatoes, amul buttered pav bread SWEET POTATO FRIES (5/5 because who doesn't like sweet potato) HOLY MOLY FRIED RAVIOLI: fried cheese ravioli, tikka masala dip (5/5) ITSY BITSY NAAN BITS: naan tikka masala dip (4/5- I wish they gave more of the dip) MINI SAMOSAS (1/5 too oily) BUN SAMOSA: housemade samosa, amul buttered and maggi ketchuped bun (5/5 this was very yummy! It was interesting eating a mimosa with a bun, but the buns were nicely flavoured) I don't drink alcohol, but they do have a great selection that my partner enjoyed. Her top favorite is the mango margarita. read more

Great happy hour with half off most drinks and some food. Drinks themselves are ok. Ambience- pretty noisy during peak hours, nice seating but a bit too much light for a cozy feel. read more

Drinks are not good here anymore :( Food from curry up now is still good, very flavorful and heavy. But the drinks are overpowered by one ingredient. It's almost as if the other ingredients weren't even put in. Retail parking designated for the area in the front. read more

I'm not one to give a business (2) star as I believe every business deserves (5) stars, but this review should be added into their Yelp Review. Establishment was clean, food smelled amazing but I'm going to speak about the staff racially profiling...It is my hope that we learn from these experiences and grow. After a long week a friend and I decided to come and enjoy a quick happy hour and grab a bit of food. As we walked into the establishment we said 'hello' and received no response from the staff and just stood at the entrance waiting to be seated or greeted by the staff. At the time the establishment was empty with the exception of two parties already seated and enjoying their food and conversations. We continued to wait for the staff to acknowledge us at the door and after (3-4) mins of eye contact and no hello, we decided to just help ourselves to a bar seat after deciding that maybe we are suppose to just grab a seat. We continue to sit at the bar that wasn't staffed but other staff member kept looking in our direction. Which we gave a friendly wave once we made eye contact with a staff which resulted in us being ignored. Now this is when we noticed that we weren't welcomed in the establishment. Enter a new party of (5) through the doors and immediately the staff say 'Welcome! Please find a seat and we'll be right with you!' Warm smile from the staff and by the time party settled in, the waited was already bringing waters. 'Oh! We aren't welcomed here and maybe we should go.' I said to my friend wide eyed and shocked by the situation. At which time my friend said 'No, maybe they are under staffed?' Little context and honestly don't like bring this up, as I'm pretty inclusive and have friends/family who come from many backgrounds. I pride myself that my family literally is the United Nations of family. My friend is Welsh/German and I'm Black/Welsh... aka white...Everyone within the establishment was from India, staff and guest... This was extremely uncomfortable to be completely ignored by the staff. In a last attempt to give the establishment the benefit of the doubt. A staff member visited a party seated directly behind us from the bar, as he walked away from the table. I attempted to politely wave him down which he turn made eye contact with me and then proceeded to walk away.... By then the party next to us had noticed and after the waiter returned with their request. A young woman at the table told the waiter ' I believe the men at the bar are waiting to be help' at which time the waiter looked up, and replied 'We know' smiled at her and walked away. So we continued to wait another (5) mins before I turned to my friend and said 'Ummm, I don't think we are welcomed here and maybe we should go.' So we quietly got up from the bar walked out, all the while the staff and party next to us watched us leave due to the obvious...yes it was uncomfortable and luckily I've had experience with being profiled since my mother comes from a African decent. My friend was livid after we walked out but to be honest we found a new location and had a great conversation surround racial profiling in America. read more

The drinks here are nice and strong. The Electric Lemonade is way better than the Bangalore Old Fashioned. The vibe in here is fun and I would come back here again. They co-inhabit with Curry Up Now, which has amazing modern twists on South Asian food. read more

Right when we walked in, we were warmly greeted by Brenden, one of the bartenders. We sat at the bar and he let us know about their special Diwali menu that they have going on until November 3rd. He then suggested that we get the pakoras with the tava chicken tikki and it paired so well together. Brenden really knows what he's talking about! Everything was so flavorful. We also tried the deep fried ravioli and it was delicious with the curry sauce. Dessert was pretty good too. We got the Malpua. The coconut milk dressing was pretty tasty. The music was fire and really set the vibe for the place. We had a great time unwinding from the week on a Friday night and our conversations with Brenden -- as well as watching him work his magic and creativity behind the bar -- made the experience that much better. Brenden also let us try a new concoction that he came up with that had a pandan flavor with yogurt popping boba and it was suuuper refreshing. The people here seem to really enjoy their job. The hubby and I had the best time and are looking forward to coming back soon to try the other drinks that Brenden comes up with. CHEERS!! read more

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We've been here at least 3 times (being down the street). Every visit has been very pleasant, especially when Brendan is working the bar. We were lucky enough to be there during a time where they were restocking the bar and Brendan provided us with a whiskey tasting! The food itself is pretty solid (sexy fries every time). Our go to watering hole. read more

I Was excited to try this Indian fusion place. I was intrigued by the cool looking drinks and thought I'd have to give this place a try. The restaurant itself is Interesting. Upon entering there's actually 2 establishments. Mortar and Pestle is located on the left hand side. Service was pretty slow and it took forever to get our drinks and have our waiter come .. It was pretty odd to because once we put in our order the food cane out in 5 minutes. Thought it was odd for the food to arrive first before our drinks. Wish they served our drinks first. Another thing that I didn't like was that our table was so tiny and they brought our other dishes a couple of minutes later but there was no room. So they brought our dishes back and by that time our other dishes were already cold. I think they could've spaced out the timing that way we can have some time to finish our other plates without our food getting cold. For the food we ordered: Naughty Naan: 2/5 Flatbread of naan,mozzarella , carmelized onion , shaved japalapenos , and chicken. The sauce tasted like a bbq sauce and nothing about this dish tasted like Indian cuisine. Dynamite tangra wings: 2/5 Wings were coated in a semi sweet coating of sauce. Was underwhelming and wings were soggy. Death by Tika Masala: 3/5 Portions are super tiny. Lentils were okay , the naan was also okay but nothing really amazed me. I would have to say the paneer tasted better than the chicken ( coming from a carnivore) I was disappointed that none of the dishes we had were spicy. Chicken tacos: 1/5 Would definitely skip the next time. YELPERS seriously very misleading when you post pics and put the wrong name Anyways wrong place to get tacos. Drinks Holy Bhang:Yes this drink looks super photo worthy but I wouldn't say it was my fav drink. Definitely tasted like drinking a bitter medicine. Couldn't even drink it. 1/5 Mexican Bishop : This tasted a lot better . Had tequila , pineapple , lime , pink peppercorn coriander, and mahalo bitters. Even comes in a cool skull cup . 5/5 Overall I wouldn't be back if I was craving some authentic Indian food. I love the modern take on Indian food but overall my experience was underwhelming. Also came for happy hour but none of the items were that great so ordered everything on the regular menu . read more

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Though service is good but i dont like the food. It doesnot suits my stomach. Taste also not good read more

Mortar & Pestle Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

Friendly and personal service between complex and sophisticated cocktails. Location is a friendly neighborhood bar sharing a space with a contemporary Indian restaurant. Even if you enjoy the liquor without mixers, this place elevates it with taste. read more