A glimpse of Kafe Bindass; (below) Tiffin Of The Day. Pictures by Rashbehari Das

This one’s a funky hangout for those with a desi twist. Enter Kafe Bindass on Hungerford Street and let its bold bright mix of colours against its stark white interiors grow on you.

The 36-seater coffee shop (with six chairs outdoors) at 10E Picasso Bithi serves up everything from coffee and chicken pizza to Samosa Bar. “I always wanted to do something of my own and so I met Shaun Kenworthy and we brainstormed. The end result was Kafe Bindass,” says 30-year-old Manisha Nath, who has transformed from homemaker to businesswoman overnight.

Shaun’s funky touches can be seen in the innovative menu. Black coffee has been christened Kala Pani, Thanda White Kafe is simple chilled milk coffee and Indian Iceberg is iced coffee with a splash of cocoa. There’s also Mishti Doi Smoothie — imagine cold coffee topped with Calcutta’s quintessential mishti doi!

“I’ve never done a cafe before and I’ve put in more time than I thought I would because the idea of a desi cafe is so interesting and fresh. Most cafes are westernised, which is why we wanted something different. Here, even the walls have desi designs,” said Shaun, the brain behind the cuisine and the concept. The walls are hard to miss — Quick Gun Murugan, a rickshawpuller and even Lalu Prasad find place!

The snacks menu is even more interesting. There are sandwiches and naandwiches (naans sandwiched with fillings) to tandoori chicken pizzas and grilled vegetables with pesto. The Tiffin Lunches, which come in three-tiered tiffin carriers, make you feel at home. Inside them find steamed rice, dal, papad and pickle, available between noon and 4pm. Expect B&W films and Bollywood tracks to fuse with the food.

Watch out for more Kafe Bindass outlets to open near the Salt Lake Swimming Pool, in Golf Green and at Loudon Street.

A meal for two would cost Rs 250.