From Kalimpong to Kolkata in nine years and then a second outlet in the City of Joy in just eight months, Art Cafe has received a hearty welcome into Kolkata’s cafe scene and their authenticity is helping them grow with love from all patrons. The newest location at the Goethe-Institut at Max Mueller Bhavan in Park Mansions property in the Park Street area is aptly named Cafe Mueller.

My Kolkata was at the launch on Saturday, before the cafe opened to the public on Monday, April 15, and here’s the lowdown

A chance encounter brought Art Cafe from Kalimpong to Kolkata. Iftekhar Ahsan (of Calcutta Walks and Calcutta Bungalow), his wife Shaheera Bano (one of the partners at Kolkata’s Art Cafe) walked into Art Cafe in Kalimpong and fell in love with it. Shaheera and Suman Chen got in touch with original partners Pravesh Chhetri and Yachna Rizal to bring Art Cafe to Kolkata.

Much the same way, a chance conversation between Iftekhar and Astrid Wege, the director of Goethe-Institut, Max Mueller Bhavan got things started for Cafe Mueller. “People come to the library and attend courses at the Goethe-Institut at Max Mueller Bhavan. It is an open house. And we were looking for a nice cafe to add another dimension for people while they are here,” said Wege.

Astrid Wege, director of the Goethe-Institut, Max Mueller Bhavan expressed her excitement at the launch of Cafe Mueller by Art Cafe

While Wege was in touch with a few people, conversations moved ahead with the team at Art Cafe. “They have lovely momos and a delightful salad, and of course their cakes are very good. And Germany is famous for its cakes, so this is a tie-up we are looking forward to seeing succeed,” she added.

Kalimpong to Kolkata

Partners (L-R) Pravesh Chhetri, Chris Chen, Amritendrani Banerjee of Goethe-Institut, Astrid Wege, Yachna Rizal, Suman Chen, Shaheera Bano and Iftekhar Ahsan

My Kolkata caught up with Pravesh Chhetri to talk about the journey so far. Almost a decade ago, in 2015, Pravesh and his wife Yachna merged their interests of music and cooking to create a small cafe that would be “a platform to promote art, culture and music because that wasn’t there in Kalimpong at that time,” he said. The meeting with Iftekhar brought Art Cafe to Sarat Banerjee Road (in Lake Market), which “has been getting great response and now this opportunity to associate ourselves with Goethe-Institut is a really exciting one.”

Partner Suman Chen mentioned that the team was a bit hesitant at first to explore the opportunity of a second location since they were putting all their energy in the Lake Market outlet. What pushed them forward was the good feedback from the the first cafe, and the chance to create a presence in central Kolkata. “What better place than Park Street? We’ve tried to keep the aesthetics the same as the cafe in Kalimpong so the decor is the same while also respecting what the Goethe-Institut at Max Mueller Bhavan expects of us,” she said.

The alfresco seating area overlooks the busy road opposite Mocambo

Situated next to the library of Goethe-Institut, Cafe Mueller paints a quaint picture with an indoor and outdoor seating area. The decor is an instant connect with its other locations, wth mud-painted walls and lots of potted plants, cosy seating with cushioned wicker chairs and warm lighting.

(L-R) Yachna Rizal, Suman Chen and Shaheera Bano, the three ladies behind Art Cafe’s success in Kolkata

The menu of Kolkata’s two Art Cafe locations are similar and echoes the Himalayan flavours of its original Kalimpong location. For Yachna, who handles the kitchen, “maintaining authenticity is a huge challenge,” but it is something they pride themselves in having maintained for nine years in Kalimpong, “because people who visit often keep telling us that it tastes just as good as it did when we started off.” For Yachna, the recipe triumphs dependency on the chef and ensures authenticity — something she’s keen to follow with Cafe Mueller as well.

What’s on the menu

The menu of the Park Street location, keeping with its predecessors, has pastas, pizzas and Art Cafe signatures like the Fing Salad and the momos. Yachna told My Kolkata that the ethos of the food at Art Cafe is about using “ingredients which are locally available in Kalimpong and making global food out of it. We are taking old Nepali recipes and giving it a modern twist, like the Buckwheat Crepes which is basically crepes made with millets. Our parents’ generation used to have it for breakfast and we are changing it a bit by adding banana, some chocolate and it fits our menu very well.” All the cheese is also sourced from Kalimpong, and while it is a challenging endeavour, it helps maintain authenticity, she added.

Momos and Fing Salad

The positive feedback for the Lake Market cafe gave them the push for this new location in a short span, said Shaheera Bano, adding that the cafe already has its pop picks. “The cakes have been a big hit after the momos. We sell out of the cakes very quickly and we get a lot of calls to reserve slices of our flourless cake and the carrot cake.” In keeping with the timings for Goethe-Institut, Cafe Mueller will open and shut earlier than the other outlet, which is why they will serve breakfast specials at the new cafe.

Apart from the breakfast options, Art Cafe will also be coming up with fresh fruit based cakes depending on the season. The Pina Colada Cake is currently available and a mango-based cake can soon be expected at Cafe Mueller.

Guest speak

Father Franklin Menezes (in blue) loved the Indo-German look of Cafe Mueller and relished the Flourless Chocolate Cake

The opening day specials served included the chicken and veg momo, and the Flourless Chocolate Cake, all of which received praise from guests present. For Father Franklin Menezes, the pro-vicar at the Cathedral of the Most Holy Rosary, “the flourless chocolate cake was the best thing”.

Film director Sudeshna Roy who has grown up in the Park Street area was also all praise for the new neighbourhood cafe. “I am a vegetarian so it’s lovely to see a place with so many delightful options for vegetarians. The Fing Salad, Mushroom on Toast and the momo fillings are unique. The Calcutta Lemonade is also very refreshing.”

East India Dastangos performed at the opening of Kolkata’s second Art Cafe

East India Dastangos and Rage Rage took over the library space at Goethe-Institut for the musical evening. Raageshree Ghatani, who goes by the name Rage Rage for her musical performances, is currently a physiotherapy student at Barrackpore but hails from Kalimpong and is a frequent visitor at the cafe’s original location. After she rocked the small gathering with a few cover songs and a Nepali number, Rage Rage went off stage with a bang with a cover of Adele’s Rolling in the Deep before we caught up with her to compare notes on the Art Cafes. “The ambiance is the same as Art Cafe in Kalimpong, the crowd here was equally receptive to my music just like it is back home although I was a bit nervous. It feels wonderful to see Art Cafe doing so well. When it started in 2015, it was a nice small place where we could chill and make music and now it’s here at the Goethe-Institut which is great. The food tastes just like it does at the original cafe back in Kalimpong — delightful,” said Raageshree.

‘The food tastes as good as it does in Kalimpong’ said Kalimpong resident and Art Cafe patron Rage Rage after her performance