Casa Toscana

Where: 56 Chowringhee Road (just off the Exide crossing).

DoB: January 11, 2009.

Business hours: Noon to 11.30pm.

Covers: 73.

Cuisine: Italian — antipasti, soups, salads, pastas, bakes, risottos, pizzas and desserts.

Most unusual dish: Tomato Bruschetta with Fresh Bocconcini.

Best-seller item: Exotic Mushroom Risotto.

Parking: For 10 cars outside.

Pocket pinch: A meal for two costs Rs 800 (plus taxes).

Souk

Where: Taj Bengal.

DoB: April 17, 2009.

Business hours: 12.30pm to 3.30pm for lunch, 7.30pm to midnight for dinner.

Covers: 74.

Cuisine: East Mediterranean.

Most unusual dish: Makaronia Ke Spanaki, a Greek speciality of spaghetti tossed in olive oil with spinach, chick peas, tomatoes and pickled lemon.

Best-seller item: Hummus and Pita.

Parking: At the hotel.

Pocket pinch: A meal for two would cost Rs 1,200 (non-vegetarian). Taxes extra.

Masque

Where: Silver Arcade on the EM Bypass.

DoB: April 15, 2009.

Business hours: 12.30pm till midnight. On Fridays and Saturdays, Masque is open till 2am.

Covers: 110 (including the lounge).

Cuisine: North Indian and Continental.

Most unusual dish: Indian: Galouti Kebab, minced lamb in tikki form; Continental: Prawn Newburg.

Best-seller item: Mutton Reshmi Kebab.

Parking: At Silver Arcade.

Pocket pinch: A meal for two costs Rs 1,000.

Non-food options: A lounge.

Kaafila Express

Where: 27 Shakespeare Sarani (where The Blue Potato used to be).

DoB: March 19, 2009.

Business hours: Noon till 10.30pm on all days. It started as a drive-in that was open till 1am but the idea was dropped when it didn’t work as planned.

Covers: 45.

Cuisine: Northwest Frontier Province cuisine.

Most unusual dish: Kebab Wraps — a cross between rolls and shawarma.

Best-seller item: Chicken and Mutton Biryani.

Parking: For 10 outside the eatery.

Pocket pinch: A meal for two would cost Rs 300 (plus taxes).

Gokul Shree

Where: 25 S.N. Roy Road, Behala.

DoB: September 18, 2009.

Business hours: 11am to 3pm for lunch and 7pm till 10pm for dinner.

Covers: 45.

Cuisine: Rajasthani and Gujarati, plus sweets and a chaat section. The Gokul Shree thali comprises Paneer Butter Masala, Veg Pulao, Dal Makhani, Butter Nan, Gulab Jamun, Dahi Vada, papad and pickles.

Most unusual dish: Dal Bati Churma.

Best-seller item: Missi ki Roti and Gatte ka Saag.

Parking: For 10 cars.

Pocket pinch: The live chaat counter has items priced Rs 25 onwards.

Barbeque Nation

Where: BIPL, Omega Building, Bengal Intelligent Park, EP&GP Block, Salt Lake (behind Sector V’s Infinity Building).

DoB: February 5, 2009.

Business hours: 12.30pm to 3pm for lunch and 7.30pm to 11pm for dinner.

Covers: 210.

Cuisine: Multi-cuisine. The starters are barbequed followed by a buffet.

Most unusual dish: Moroccan Charmoula Prawns.

Best-seller item: Caribbean Chicken.

Parking: For 20 cars on the street.

Pocket pinch: A meal for two costs Rs 750 (lunch), Rs 900 (dinner). Taxes extra.

6 Ballygunge Place

Where: DD 31A, Sector 1.

DoB: April 15, 2009.

Business hours: 12.30pm to 3pm for lunch; 7pm to 11pm for dinner.

Covers: 73.

Cuisine: Bengali. Take your pick from Smoked Hilsa, Gondhoraj Chicken, Bati Chorchori, Aloo Jhinge Posto, Daab Chingri and Baked Sandesh.

Most unusual dish: Chingri Maachher Kebab.

Best-seller item: Boneless Hilsa Paturi.

Parking: For 25 cars on the road outside the restaurant.

Pocket pinch: A meal for two comes for Rs 600 (plus taxes).

Non-food options: Two banquet halls attached to the restaurant with a capacity of 80 to 100 heads.

Khandani Rajdhani

Where: Mani Square.

DoB: February 24, 2009.

Business hours: 11am to 4pm for lunch, 7pm to 11pm for dinner.

Covers: 85.

Cuisine: Vegetarian thali, 90 per cent Gujarati and 10 per cent Rajasthani items.

Most unusual dish: Surti Undhiyo, made with different kinds of pulses and vegetables and “traditional ingredients flown in from Gujarat and Rajasthani villages”.

Best seller item: Dal Dhokli, a Gujarati dish and Dal Bati Churma.

Parking: At the mall.

Pocket pinch: The thali is priced at between Rs 151 and Rs 200, plus taxes, Monday to Saturday. Sunday and festive days, Rs 231 plus taxes.

Desi Chimney

Where: 65/1 Sarat Bose Road (next to Motor Vehicles).

DoB: September 19, 2009.

Business hours: 11.30am to midnight.

Covers: 26.

Cuisine: Mughlai and Punjabi — everything one might get in a dhaba.

Most unusual dish: Sondhi Alu, a tandoori aloo sprinkled with masala and aniseed.

Best-seller item: Dal Makhani.

Parking: For 20 cars on the road.

Pocket pinch: A meal for two would cost Rs 180.

The Five Rivers

Where: Mani Square, fourth floor.

DoB: June 15, 2009.

Business hours: Noon to 3.30pm for lunch; 7.30pm to 11pm for dinner.

Covers: 88.

Cuisine: Kashmiri and Punjabi food.

Most unusual dish: Gostaaba, a delicious meatball curry served in nut-based white gravy.

Best-seller item: The Five Rivers Dal.

Parking: At the mall.

Pocket pinch: A meal for two would cost between Rs 800 and Rs 1,000 (without alcohol). On Sundays, enjoy the buffet priced at Rs 499.

Non-food options: None. However, the decor is high on dazzle, meant to resemble Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s dining room.

The Cream & Fudge Factory and Coffee World

Where: Bally High (opposite Ice Skating Rink).

DoB: September 25, 2009.

Business hours: 11am to well past 11pm.

Covers: 80.

Cuisine: Desserts, sandwiches, waffles and coffee.

Most unusual dish: Belgium waffles.

Best-seller item: Waffles and Rocky Road ice cream.

Parking: For five cars.

Pocket pinch: The ice creams start at Rs 50. Coffees are priced upwards of Rs 30.

Afraa Creperie

Where: City Centre I and II.

DoB: August 12, 2009 at CC I and October 9 at CC II.

Business hours: 10am to 10pm.

Covers: 42 and 67.

Cuisine: French. The Afraa Creperie at CC2 has a new section of panini and other breads, with a variety of new filling combinations.

Most unusual dish: Florentine, an egg, cheese and spinach crepe. Also, Fruits De Mar, a mix of salmon, tuna and prawn.

Best-seller item: Tuna Melt (non-vegetarian), Acropolis (vegetarian).

Parking: At the malls.

Pocket pinch: A meal for two comes at about Rs 350.

The French Loaf

Where: Vasundhara building, 2/7 Sarat Bose Road (opposite Soho).

DoB: October 12, 2009.

Business hours: 8am to 10pm everyday.

Covers: 36.

Bakes: Bread — from basic white sandwich bread, brown bread and multi-grain bread to German rye and Italian cheese bread; puffs, quiches, footlongs and Tex-Mex pies, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian.

Most unusual bake: The Rye Bread range with variations like Dill Mustard Rye Bread, Walnut Rye Bread, Geneva Rye Bread and Swedish Rye Bread.

Best-seller item: Blueberry muffin and Apple Pie.

Parking: Outside on Sarat Bose Road.

Pocket pinch: Snacks are priced between Rs 25 and Rs 65.

Zhilann

Where: City Centre Salt Lake, Block B.

DoB: September 17, 2009.

Business hours: 12.30pm to 3.30pm for lunch and 7pm to 10.30pm for dinner.

Covers: 80.

Cuisine: Chinese, including popular picks like Chicken Sweet Corn Soup, Tangy Chicken and Chilli Potato.

Most unusual dish: Fakusa Zusi, a sweet and sour egg-wrapped fried rice with chicken and prawn, and finished with brandy.

Best-seller item: Sliced Chicken Mahti, Cheng Tu Chicken.

Parking: At the mall.

Pocket pinch: A meal for two will cost Rs 500 (plus taxes).

Non-food options: Gift Planet, a gifting section with Chinese souvenirs in porcelain.

AMODA THE SPA BAR

Where: 22 Camac Street.

DoB: July 10, 2009.

Business hours: Friday and Saturday, 9pm to 2am.

Covers: 64.

Cuisine: Finger food with cocktails and mocktails.

Most unusual dish: Crab Claws, miniature battered crabs.

Best-seller item: Cheese and Jalapeno Poppers.

Parking: Designated parking for six cars. Plus, parking at the mall.

Pocket pinch: An outing for two would cost Rs 2,000 (including taxes).

Non-food option: You can get a foot spa even when the multi-functional space transforms into a nightclub.

OPEN OVEN

Where: 17 Camac Street and 22A Royd Street.

DoB: November 28, 2008 and September 13, 2009.

Business hours: 10am to 8.30pm at Camac Street; 9am to 9pm at Royd Street.

Covers: Takeaway.

Bakes: Cakes, savouries, sandwiches and flavoured breads. The Royd Street outlet has ice creams, too.

Most unusual dish: Chocolate Crunchy Roll.

Best-seller item: Choco Caramel and Truffle Cake.

Pocket pinch: Choco Biscuits start at Rs 8, cakes go up to Rs 240 a pound.

FLAME & GRILL

Where: Mani Square.

DoB: August 12, 2009.

Business hours: Noon to 3pm for lunch, 7pm to 11pm for dinner.

Covers: 120.

Cuisine: All kinds of kebabs like Kandahari Murgh, Bhuna Machhli, Gosht Seekh Kebab, Paneer Patiala, Subzi Sigree, Achari Bhindi and Sondhi Broccoli, followed by a pre-set buffet.

Most unusual dish: Tandoori Crab.

Parking: At the mall.

Pocket pinch: The buffet costs between Rs 245 and Rs 275 on weekdays, and between Rs 345 and Rs 395 on weekends.

CAFE THE

Where: ICCR, 9A Ho Chi Minh Sarani.

DoB: December 15, 2008.

Business hours: 11am to 11pm.

Covers: 65.

Cuisine: Primarily a tea lounge with a variety of sandwiches. The menu has been recently expanded to include Indian, Continental and Chinese main course meals.

Most unusual dish: Hot Butter Apple Tea.

Best-seller item: Dhaba Special Tea.

Pocket pinch: Prices start at Rs 30. A meal for two cost between Rs 200 and Rs 300.

SUBWAY

Where: South City Mall and 122A, Block C, Bangur Avenue (off VIP Road, near Dominos Pizza).

DoB: August 24 and September 22, 2009.

Business hours: 11am to 11pm.

Covers: 30 at the mall, 40 at its standalone outlet.

Cuisine: Sandwiches.

Most unusual item: The BMT (Biggest Meatiest and Tastiest) sandwich.

Best-seller item: Veggie Delight.

Parking: At the South City Mall and street parking for about five cars in Bangur.

Pocket pinch: A meal for one costs around Rs 110 to Rs 120.

Karo Christine Kumar

The downturn caused many food stops to shut doors this year. a nibble at a few

The Blue Potato Trattoria

Where: 27, Shakespeare Sarani.

DoB: January 2007.

Closed since: September 2008.

Covers: 36.

Cuisine: Modern French and Italian fusion.

Best-seller item: The Blue Potato Caesar Salad, Chicken Espetada, Pasta Alio Olio and Panna Cotta with Mixed Berries.

Reason for shutdown: “We couldn’t get a liquor license because of the location and it’s difficult to run a restaurant of this kind without alcohol,” said Shaun Kenworthy, one of the partners of the restaurant.

Future plans: “I plan to start something next year at a different location where the liquor license will not be an issue. The format might be slightly different and bigger,” he added.

Taaja’s

Where: 29/1A Ballygunge Circular Road.

DoB: February 19, 1998.

Closed since: June 24, 2009.

Covers: 54-seater split-level.

Cuisine: A wide and exotic variety ranging from Spanish and Mexican to Greek and Burmese.

Best-seller item: Paella, Capsicana, Cannelloni and Lasagne.

Reason for shutdown: Labour trouble. “A particular employee misbehaved with a client so we suspended him. It triggered off a militant union movement with all the staff members joining in. We had no choice but to shut down. If we re-open we’ll have to do that with a completely new lot,” said Bibi Sarkar, proprietor of Taaja’s.

Future plans: “Many of our customers are very nostalgic about the place. They’ve courted there and later come back with their children. They’re quite upset to see it closed. I definitely plan to re-open before the winter. It’ll be the same food and a takeoff on some of the older items. It’ll be at a different venue although I’m not sure if I’ll open under the name of Taaja’s because of legal issues. We started out in Golpark in 1986 as Taaja before shifting to Gariahat Road as Taaja’s Creative Cuisine and then reopened as Taaja’s. So I’m also wondering if the name is jinxed!” said Sarkar, whose global platter is currently up for home delivery at 40007565/9830335641.

T2 Wok & Grill (Tangerine # 2)

Where: 4, Hindustan Park.

DoB: August 15, 2008.

Closed since: January 2009.

Covers: 70.

Cuisine: Oriental and Continental grills and bakes.

Best-seller item: Pork Chops with Prune and Wine Glaze, Sliced Fish Chilli Mustard.

Reason for shutdown: Low footfall, lack of alcoholic beverages and parking hassles.

Future plans: “We’re looking for a suitable locality where we could work out the economics better. Not sure when we’ll re-open but it’ll be multicuisine which is contemporary and acceptable,” said Gautam Kapoor, one of the partners of the restaurant.

SOI 19

Where: 29/1A, Ballygunge Circular Road.

DoB: October 18, 2008.

Closed since: May 2009.

Covers: 36.

Cuisine: Thai.

Best-seller item: The red, green and Panang Curry.

Reason for shutdown: “Lack of liquor license was a problem. Also, post recession people’s tendency to avoid overspending and stick to places that offer a variety of cuisine made it difficult for business to pick up. The rent was becoming unaffordable and it was a signal for the restaurant to go down,” said restaurateur Naveen Pai.

Future plans: No immediate plans.

Nola

Where: Silver Arcade on EM Bypass.

DoB: April 14, 2008.

Closed since: July 2009.Covers: 90.

Cuisine: Continental, Indian and Coastal.

Best-seller item: Prawn Koliwada.

Reason for shutdown: Low footfall and was running at a deficit. It did not offer a creative platter, and the ready-to-heat-and-eat meal concept meant that there was often a shortage of food.

Yaya’s Ultra Lounge

Where: DLF Mall at Rajarhat.

DoB: December 20, 2008.

Closed since: February 2009.

Covers: 140 in the dining section on the ground floor and 250 in the nightclub on the second floor.

Cuisine: A “one-stop solution” for dining and clubbing that served Chinese and Indian food.

Best-seller item: Mojitos and fire shooters.

Reason for shutdown: “We haven’t shut for good. It was due to some technical problems and the air conditioning wasn’t reliable,” explained Chayan Bhattacharya, one of the partners in the company.

Future plans: “It should be up and running within this season. We plan to give the first floor a revamp,” he added.

New Zealand Naturals

Where: 4A Wood Street.

DoB: March 5, 2008.

Closed since: February 2009.

Covers: 16-seater parlour.

Cuisine: Ice cream, sorbets, frozen yoghurt, smoothies, shakes and chillos that used no colours, no preservatives and no chemicals.

Best-seller item: Berryfruit, mango, lemon and passionfruit sorbets that were 99 per cent fat-free and were non-dairy products. The frozen yoghurts were popular too.

Reason for shutdown: Annual turnover was not enough to pay off the high rentals, target sales dipped by 50 per cent and Calcuttans were not ready to cough up Rs 45 for a scoop of the ice cream positioned as a premium product.

Future plans: Not in the immediate future.

Costa Coffee

Where: Mani Square and Sector V.

DoB: September 26, 2008.

Closed since: September 2009 and May 2009.

Covers: 36 and 20 respectively.

Cuisine: Coffee along with sandwiches, salads, submarines and pastries.

Best-seller item: Chocolate Truffle Cake.

Reason for shutdown: Decreasing footfall, steep pricing compared to other coffee franchisees, low revenue and lack of visibility in the city.

Future plans: A cafe in City Centre 2.

Daddy’s Dhaba

Where: Rajarhat, New Town (Near Delhi Public School, Megacity).

DoB: April 29, 2009.

Closed since: September 5, 2009.

Covers: 85-100.

Cuisine: Multicuisine — anything from Butter Chicken to Konjee Crispy Mushroom.

Best-seller item: Chicken Butter Masala.

Reason for shutdown: “It’s closed for the time being. Because of its distant location and the impact of the Vedic Village fire, few people were coming this side,” says Trilochan Singh Jhans, owner.

Future plans: “We will open once things are back to normal and more people start visiting this side of town,” says Jhans.