With everyone in house-cleaning mode in the run-up to Diwali and Bhai Phonta, your body needs a breather and your taste palates need a kick. These Kolkata restaurants are serving up special menus for the festive occasion and this curated list of dishes will help you decide what exactly to try.
Mutton Dahi Vada from What’s Up! Café
Mutton Dahi Vada
Does a Kolkata skyline lit up with fireworks with a live band providing the background score sound inviting? Ring in Diwali with your close ones at one of the city’s most popular rooftop cafe-and-bar spaces – What’s Up! Cafe. From the festive menu, the Mutton Dahi Vada is sure to intrigue you. Like the name establishes, it’s a contemporary meaty twist on the traditional dahi vada. Let the spices take over your palate while you tap your foot to live music by The Antique Nation, 7.30pm onwards.
Date: October 24, 2022
Address: 122A Southern Avenue, 7th Floor, Kolkata – 700029 (opposite Nazrul Mancha main gate)
Timings: Noon to 11.45pm
Price for two: Rs 1,200 + taxes (approx)
Prawn on Toast or Penne Pasta from Chapter 2
Prawn on Toast
Chapter 2 is best known for bringing Kolkata’s old-world Continental dishes under one roof. On Bhai Phonta, skip the traditional thali at home as you enter another year of roasting and toasting your sibling. Non-vegetarians can try the Prawn on Toast, a Kolkata club staple, while vegetarian pasta lovers must try Penne Pasta in Creamy Pesto Sauce. The retro-dining restaurant is serving up a spate of special dishes just for a day and only at its Southern Avenue address, with city musicians performing live while you food-dive!
Date: October 26, 2022
Address: P-377, Hemanta Mukhopadhay Sarani, Southern Avenue, Kolkata - 700029
Timings: Noon to 11pm
Price for two: Rs 1,500 + taxes (approx; with a beer)
Nihari from Oudh 1590
Nihari
Are you scrambling to find time to prepare for Bhai Phonta? Do not worry! You can still keep it traditional at Oudh 1590, which has a Bhai Phonta Blessings Platter on October 26 at its Southern Avenue and Salt Lake outlets. That apart, you can also dig into the festive menu at all outlets. This menu is available only on October 26. While you are at it, try the delicious Nihari on offer and if you prefer vegetarian, choose from the various royal paneer dishes.
Date: October 26, 2022
Locations: Bhai Phonta Blessings Platter only at Southern Avenue and Salt Lake; Festive menu in all outlets including Deshapriya Park, Southern Avenue, Naktala, Salt Lake, Jessore Road, Sodepur and Behala
Timings: Noon to 3.30pm; 6.30pm to 10.30pm
Price for two: Rs 1,200 + taxes (approx)
Roasted Rosemary Lamb from Tintin & The Brussels Club
Roasted Rosemary Lamb with Spaghetti
This festive season, indulge in flavours from the Tintin-themed Belgian restaurant, Tintin & The Brussels Club. The newly-introduced festive menu includes five exotic dishes, with two starters, mains and a dessert to choose from. Meat lovers can experience the flavourful Roasted Rosemary Lamb with Mix Sauce Spaghetti; and if you have a sweet tooth, you can opt for the Belgian Cheese Ice Cream! If you love Belgian chocolates, this ice cream will win your heart just like Snowy did.
Dates: October 22-24, 2022
Address: 104 Hemanta Mukhopadhyay Sarani (Lake Terrace), Kolkata- 700029
Timings: Noon to 10.30pm
Price for two: Rs 850 (approx.)
Bandel Cheese Cutlet from Ekdalia RD
Bandel Cheese Cutlets
If you like exotic seafood or prefer your meat red, Ekdalia RD’s Diwali and Bhai Dooj special menus will spoil you silly. Pick from a range of appetisers, mains and combos in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. If you love seafood, then the Seafood/Crab Meat Lasagne should be on your to-eat list; and if you prefer vegetarian, then the Portuguese-influenced Bandel Cheese Cutlet should make the list.
Dates: October 21-30
Address: 15 Raja Basanta Roy Road, Kolkata - 700026
Timings: Noon to 10pm
Price for two: Rs 600 (approx.)
Chicken Tikka Biryani from Cafe Porkotini
Chicken Tikka Biryani
Cafe Porkotini has won many a Kolkata heart by serving some of the best pork dishes. This festive season, the Behala dine den is traversing the lesser-known path by introducing a simpler menu that accommodates everybody’s tastes. The pork dishes on the regular menu are always available, but you can opt from a range of festive combos too. We recommend you try out Chicken Tikka Biryani with soft drinks or Chilli Paneer with Vegetable Fried Rice / Noodles.
Dates: October 24-31, 2022
Address: 326/10, Raja Rammohan Roy Road, Kolkata - 700008
Timings: 12 noon to 1am
Price for two: Rs 500 (approx.)
