Small bites

A quintessentially Bong adda session is incomplete without yummy munchies. The city’s snack bars are going into an overdrive to cater to the festive crowd with new menus and special events.

For a pocket pinch of Rs 100, head for Oxford Cha Bar. Gorge on lasagna or chicken tikka croissants with orange or guava tea mocktails. For cool Bengali snacks, there’s Coffee World — think chingri tulsi, mutton kasha and sarshe maach sandwiches. There’s entertainment like colouring exercises for children and games for adults too.

Cream & Fudge Factory has ice creams in fab flavours like kamala bhoger twist, nolen gurer magic and fal sagar for the sweet-toothed. A double scoop costs Rs 155. But if you’re craving frozen yoghurt, go to The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf for frozen swirls like Original Tart and Classic Vanilla (Rs 60 upwards).

Chill out in style at cafés in the city’s 5-star hotels. On offer is everything from street food to global cuisine. Dig into dimer devil, sita bhog and mihidana at The Street in The Park (Rs 175 upwards). Or head to ITC Sonar, where, in keeping with the classic theme, you can sip on flavoured and premium teas with cakes and sandwiches (Rs 375 plus taxes) at the Bay of Bengal Lounge.

But for a fun hangout, hit Nocturne Haze — the hookah bar on Theatre Road. Perfect for the hip crowd and open till late, make the most of their special flavoured hookahs — think mango, lemon-and-litchi, mint and more (Rs 250 onwards).

feast time

Now that you’ve had your fill of small bites, it’s time for dinner. And the star eateries are planning a big surprise for foodies.

Head to Sonargaon at Taj Bengal for traditional Bengali fare and dig into delicious seafood, vegetarian or non-vegetarian thalis (upwards of Rs 1,450 per head). Hyatt Regency Kolkata’s Waterside Café too is serving up a tempting assortment of Bengali buffets at Rs 1,950 plus per person.

Bangal fare sounds like quite a treat, doesn’t it? Head to Kalash at Hotel Hindusthan International. Chefs from Dhaka have flown in for the Pujas to cook the delicacies (Rs 1,049 plus per person). What’s more, you’ll be treated to live ghazals as well. At Ivory Kitchen Kolkata on Camac Street too, expect a dinner of kochi pnathar biryani, dhonepatar doi maach and more (at Rs 1,500 for two) with dhakis performing at the venue.

But if you’re in the mood for fusion, try the Bongo special seafood casserole with Mexican rice or the Spanish paella with tyangra, topshe, bekti and prawns at KK’s Fusion. Bohemian too is introducing contemporary Bengali dishes like chicken with spicy orange and kashundi or mutton and baby onion with spicy coriander (Rs 189 upwards).

FUN ‘N’ FROLIC

When the night gathers momentum it’s time to hit the dance floor. If you’re a fan of good ol’ Bollywood, groove to the latest hits at Privy at Forum Mall. Then there’s Shisha Reincarnated, hosting DJ Barkha Kaul on Ashtami. So, expect popular club hits, lots of hip-hop and ’50s music. On Nabami, the hip nightspot has a great party planned with DJ Mash from Delhi’s F Bar and Lounge. Underground too promises a blast on Nabami with DJ Aqeel reigning over the party. But if live music is your thing, percussionist Bickram Ghosh will be performing at Nicco Park Big Lawns on Ashtami.

Beer guzzlers head for Someplace Else at The Park, which is hosting Oktoberfest through October. Beer-drinking competitions are on too! Ashtami will see ethno-electronic band Ashram wooing crowds here. But it’s Nabami that promises the most fun, for the bar will host The Nukkad Salsa Project with Dibs Mukherjee!