Kolkata (Calcutta) Restaurants

Open from 7am to 10:30pm, this restaurant serves both Indian and western fare. We enjoyed breakfast here on a number of days, I can recommend the cheese toast, and their juices are very good. Friendly service too.

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Our VT friend Shadi ( Sahita7) visited Kolkata last week for five days with her parents from Tehran. We decided one day to have dinner with them. On Wednesday ( 7th April) we took them to the new Arsalan Restaurant ( It's bigger and better than Circus avenue and Park Circus branch). We also wanted to try this place and the new specialty being offered there. They proved to be true! Shadi and her mom also liked the food there.

We had Chicken Arsalan Kabab ( out of the place), Chicken Reshmi Butter masala, Chicken Reshmi Kabab, Keema Naan, Mutton Lucknow Biryani ( our favourite) and our all time favourite Mutton Sheek Kabab. All the dishes were excellent and we could not eat that much so we got it packed for home.

Video: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/vv/3621/

Favorite Dish: Undoubtedly Mutton Sheek Kabab, Chicken Arsalan Kabab and our all time favourite Mutton Lucknow Biryani!

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As I have mentioned many times earlier that the city of Kolkata lacks a good South Indian restaurant, which serves their exotic culinary. South Indian food is much more than what it is presumed by other Indian states. An average Indian or a Bengali presumes that South Indian food means only Dosas, Idlies, Rasam, Sambhar, Uttapam etc. They are all vegetarian snacks and most of South Indian Brahmins are vegetarians( who are actually in minority). Tamilnadu and Kerala are supposed to be the highest fish consuming states! Surprised? Yes you should be! Most of the North Indians and East Indian find South Indian food is unpalatable, unattractive and boring. It is simply because they have not tasted/ tried their exotic dishes. They are perhaps equally good or even better than North Indian or Bengali food! During my several trips to South India I never found any problem in eating like other Bengali!

Tamarind is surely educating the gentry of Kolkata about the exotic South Indian food from all four States of South India , Tamilnadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. It's a place worth giving a try as many Bengalis and other North Indian people keep visiting South India for days. I am sure once they get used to their food they will never complain about not finding food to suit their palate in South India.

Decorated in the pattern of a Chettiar house, the place will give you the feeling of having food in a South Indian home. The water is served in copper glasses. Butter milk is served in earthen cups and the food comes in copper pots. It's a place to be frequented!

Favorite Dish: We tried the ever favourite Chicken Chettinad( Rs. 180/- or USD$4) ( An exotic Chicken preparation of the Chettiar community of Tamil Nadu). It is made with special spices of South India and an exotic dish to be had with plain Rice, Parathas or Fried rice or Biryani. We also had Veinchina Mamsam( Rs.220/- or USD$5) ( an exotic spicy mutton preparation of Andhra Pradesh) , Malabar Paratha( Rs40/- or USD1 per piece) ( Parathas made in Malabar cost style of South India) and Butter Milk( Priced Rs45/- or USD1 per cup). Each of the dish was excellently prepared with spice. We savoured every bit of it. The dishes are very reasonably priced. Four persons can have excellent dinner with in Rs1000/-

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This new place has come up recently only three months back. They are at Salt Lake Sector V, which is our IT park of West Bengal. Set amongst all the techie companies they are doing good business. The menu is set , price is fixed ( Rs400/- per person plusVAT @12.5%), eat as much) this pace is a hit. Part of Sayaji Hotels of Indore, they have branches in all the big and medium cities in India.

They give you varieties of Skewers and Kebabs 80% cooked right on your table which also has a small grill with Charcoal ( Same Flame & Sigree style), as starter. They give varieties of Kebabs, Sami Kebab, Barbequed Grilled Chicken , Charmula Prawn, Indonesian Fish, Chicken Tikka and all. After you satisfied, you can go for their sumptuous buffet spread and choose varieties of food right from Biriyani to Dessert of several types. There are about 26 items to be tasted from which will tire you, even if you taste a small portion from each of the dishes. All dishes are tasty. There is also live music to entertain you while you dine. Drinks are available but a bit expensive as they give only 30ml pegs at exorbitant price. One peg of regular Indian whiskey will cost about Rs350/- inclusive of taxes ( which is almost equivalent the cost of a bottle!) But then you have to pay the prices to get this kind of service!

The place is located at Salt Lake Sector V, at Bengal Intelligent park, near Infinity Building.

If you are entering from Nicco Park, then take right turn from intersection to reach Infinity Building. You cant' miss the place. We had to search for more than half an hour as we lost the address and it was raining profusely!

Favorite Dish: The kebabs and desserts undoubtedly!

SEE VIDEO!

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Your search for best Bengali food ends here! It can be summed up in just one line for Oh Calcutta! This one is part of Restaurant Chain started by The Mainland China group started by Bengali Entrepreneur Mr.Anjan Chatterjee , who belongs to Kolkata. Today, they are doing business in millions. In about ten years of their operations in Kolkata, they have become darling of Kolkata Bengali's as well as who wants to savor authentic genuine Bengali food, while visiting Kolkata. Now they are running Oh Calcutta at two places in Kolkata. The one is at Forum Mall at Elgin Road the other one is at Silver Spring Mall at E.M. Bypass, near I.T.C.Sonar Bangla hotel. We have been frequenting this place for long time also taking our friends from abroad there, but I realised, I have never have built a tip on them. So here is the new tip.
This place is also frequented by many European and Japanese, who wants to savor authentic Bengali food while in Kolkata.

Favorite Dish: Rakhi's brother, sister in law and their son is in Kolkata for sometime, so we took them to Oh Calcutta for Bengali lunch on last Sunday. In many Bengali houses most of the dishes cooked but not all of them are perfect. There are some forgotten dishes as well which can be savored there only as the ingredients are expensive and not easily available. If it is available then cooking method is not know to everybody as the families have now become nucleus, grandma's recipe is missing. More so those who live abroad, they have almost forgotten the real Bengali taste. It's a real boon for them. They offer Sunday buffet and a la carte dishes as well. You can name any Bengali dishes it will be there made to perfection as the cooks have been trained well. Many of the forgotten dishes made with small fishes are also on the menu.

We had Sunday Buffet spread with Sorshe fish( fish in mustard sauce), Manghsor Jhol( Mutton curry cooked in Bengali style), Chngri Macher Malai curry( Prawn Curry), Crab curry, Chicken Curry cooked with mustard gravy, rice, chapati, and many other. I could take all were on the menu. Besides they had at least 6 types of Bengali sweets as desserts ,like Rossogolla, Payasam, Sandesh, Fresh Fruits apart from ice cream. In all it can be summed up it was a grand feast!

They also offer one drink free with Sunday buffet made with Baccardi or regular cold drink, all for Rs450/ - plus VAT , it's a steal!

Went to the South City Mall for some grocery shopping at Spencer and found this marvelous restaurant on the top floor. Endless courses of kebabs that rival the best I've ever had - old Sahib Singh's in Delhi. Individual braziers in the center of each table. Very good selection of beer and wines as well. A very pleasant discovery.

Favorite Dish: The sausage kebabs.

This chain has been around forever and they finally spelled Chicken Maryland correctly. This family restaurant is really a trip down memory lane - be prepared to laugh.

Favorite Dish: The Chicken Kiev - hilarious. The ice cream is very very good.

This - not Trinca's - is the home of the Calcutta crooners. For nearly seventy years the place for international cusine in a very sophisticated setting. I've been going to this restaurant since 1967 - I miss the old crowd and the music - but the food is still very good.

Favorite Dish: Steak Diane - yes steak