Debisree R.
Google
I’ve been following this café/restaurant in the Hindustan Park area on Instagram for a long time and was always impressed by their creativity, presentation, and aesthetic sense. So during my last Kolkata trip, I finally decided to visit. I made a reservation because it was a weekend evening. Just a note for others: the café downstairs is open all day and needs no reservation, but the restaurant upstairs requires prior booking. I found their number on Google and called ahead.
The building itself is gorgeous — an old Bengali ancestral home with its colonial-era charm preserved. Nothing is overly modernized, which makes the space feel nostalgic and artistic. On the ground floor, there’s even a small boutique with clothes and curated items, but we skipped shopping and headed straight upstairs. The restaurant interiors are simple yet very aesthetic.
Now, a heads up: the place is expensive. But the best part is how beautifully they elevate simple, local ingredients into a global, thoughtfully curated fusion menu. This is fusion done right.
Drinks:
Don’t skip the cocktails — they are outstanding. I ordered a tequila with karomcha (an almost-forgotten Bengali sour fruit), and it was heavenly. Perfect balance of tartness and freshness. Highly recommended. My friend tried two or three drinks — including a watermelon margarita — and we both agreed that the karomcha-tequila cocktail was the absolute winner.
Small Plates:
We began with the brain fry — fried and sautéed mutton brain, lightly spiced and unbelievably good. Nothing overpowering, just perfectly balanced and wonderful with the drinks.
Next came the Chingri Hollandese — chargrilled bhagda/tiger prawn served with a sauce made from the prawn’s own head fat, along with chimichurri and other elements. The prawn was grilled perfectly — not overcooked, soft, and naturally sweet. The flavors were rich, subtle, and delicious.
We wanted to try many things from their menu, but had to limit ourselves this time.
Main Course:
We shared the pork belly, served with a side of fragrant local rice — a tiny-grained variety called Radha Kamini. The rice itself was exceptional: aromatic, delicate, and beautifully cooked. The pork was flavorful, with notes of kalojire bata and other spices, though the portion was on the smaller side.
Dessert:
We tried two desserts.
• Makha Sandesh with tok doi: This one was okay. They topped raw ricotta over tok doi and soaked everything in date-palm jaggery. Personally, I felt the raw ricotta didn’t work — if they had sautéed it lightly with jaggery to create a more cohesive makha sandesh, it would have been stellar.
• Dudh Puli: A winter classic, and they executed it beautifully. The tiny puli were soft, filled with coconut–jaggery, and the reduced milk was fragrant. The hint of Penang oil on top was unusual but not overpowering.
Overall? I’m absolutely going back.
The food is creative, the ingredients are exceptional, the flavors are bold yet refined, and the entire experience feels special. But yes — it’s pricey, and the portions are on the smaller side. If you don’t enjoy fine dining or fusion-style experiences, this may not be the place for you.