A glimpse of the lounge bar. Pictures by Rashbehari Das

There are few standalone restaurants in Calcutta that can be called chic. The food might be good, but when it comes to style, somewhere between the idea and execution falls a rather shabby shadow.

Enter Afraa.

The latest venture from Ambuja Realty is a restaurant and a lounge, prettily perched atop City Centre’s Block G. Global food is at home on the seventh floor, where, spread across roughly 3,000 sq ft, the ambience is created as much by the white (‘afraa’ means white in Arabic) and wood decor as by the floor-to-ceiling windows that frame views all around. The same shades make for an unusually bright lounge on the level below, the colour coming from a back-lit bar that turns every hue of the rainbow.

The brief to designer Kapil Bhalla, from Mumbai, was that both spaces should work as well during the day as they do at night. “Most lounges and nightclubs don’t look good during the day. We wanted something that would work well at all times,” explains Harshvardhan Neotia, chairman, Ambuja Realty. The look grew out of the space — airy, open and full of light — and white was the natural choice.

Rattan furniture on outdoor, sheltered decks on both floors will allow customers to watch the bustle in the Kund and the main road below as they enjoy their meal. “We wanted to recreate the feel of a cafe on the streets of Europe, where you can spend hours watching people,” adds Harsh.

Afraa, the restaurant

If the design is an attention-grabber, the menu is interesting as well — including a range of global flavours dominated by Italian fare, designed by Karen Anand and Ambuja Realty’s corporate chef Davide Cananzi (who was formerly with Hyatt Regency and The Park).

Anand brings far more to the table than just celebrity value — she has conceived a range of low-calorie dishes, demarcated by an ‘L’ next to the items peppered liberally throughout the menu.

The “emphasis on nutrition, simplicity and presentation”, as Karen writes in her introduction to the menu, should appeal to the target clientele the management has in mind — the IT sector, expatriates and travellers, young professionals. WiFi access should be another draw for busy executives having a working lunch. Meetings can be held here too. Both floors afford privacy — the lounge with its two areas with cosy couches, and the restaurant with its long tables sectioned off by glass partitions, with large-screen TVs and plenty of elbowroom.

A wide selection of wines will be served at Afraa, with a corridor lined with a display of around 280 bottles on wooden racks. A live pizza kitchen will also be in place by month-end.

And there is more to come. A delicatessen will follow at the Salt Lake mall, with a range of sauces, breads, herbs and condiments.

The 81-seater restaurant is already open while the 3,500-sq-ft lounge is almost ready for its first guests.

Madhumita Bhattacharyya

BITE RIGHT

What: Holi special buffet for lunch and dinner on March 22.

Where: Eden Pavilion at ITC The Sonar Calcutta.

Food fave: Sip on Kesariya or Khus Thandai, munch on Chhole Samose Ki Chaat or Raaj Kachori and round it off with gujiyas and laddoos.

Pocket pinch: Rs 950 (plus taxes) per head.

What: Keema Ka Karishma food festival starting March 13.

Where: Nola at Star Theatre, Bidhan Sarani.

Food fave: Have a taste of its keema specialities like Mutton Keema Baluchi or Chicken Keema Begun paired with Rogani Naan.

Pocket pinch: Rs 250 for a meal for two.

Pictures by Rashbehari Das