Where: Golden Tulip, DD Block  
When: April 14 to 16 
What: A mix of authentic recipes from the bangal and ghoti kitchen as well as innovative dishes like Chingri Patishapta. “People are used to patishapta as a dessert but here it is a starter,” explains chef Tapas Bala. “We chop the prawn, saute and mix it with mashed potatoes before rolling it as patishapta.”
Ghoti delicacies include Dal Raibahadur and Ghoti murgi while bangal ones include Chitol Kalia and Sorshe Roopchada. “Even dishes like shuko will be given a Bangal tinge. Their version is less bitter, more spicy and more dry than the ones people here are used to,” says general manager Sumanta Maity. 
Pocket pinch: Rs 999 
Restospeak: “Our hotel is nearly two years old and our peak season is from October to February. But we had robust footfall last Poila Baisakh,” says Maity. “Also, we realised that people came the day after too. So this time we are hosting a three-day festival.”

Where: Cafe Studio, IA Block
When: April 14 to 30 
What: Italian food with a Bengali twist. So while Spinach Tortellini, a ring-shaped pasta, uses mascarpone cheese sauce, its base is the ever-familiar lal shak with panch phoron. “Fish gets prominence in any Bengali festival so we have items like Fish Pie and Fish Ravioli, which is smoked bekti in tangy tomato and kasundi sauce,” says head chef Debasish Paul. 
But the star dish is the Grilled Baby Bhetki, that’s seasoned, pan friend, topped with nichoise  sauce and placed on a bed of pesto pearl barley risotto. “This dish is for mach-bhat lovers. But we since we replace the rice with barley and go easy on the spices, it’s healthier,” says the chef. 
Pocket pinch: Spinach Tortellini is Rs 236, Grilled Baby Bhetki Rs 394 
Restospeak: “Tastes are changing these days and so we think diners would like to try new options this festive season,” said one of the owners Sarika Agarwal.  

Where: The Stadel 
When: April 15
What: The hotel’s First Innings restaurant will be a serving sumptuous lunch and dinner buffet spread. There will be starters like Mochar Chop and Murshidabadi Murgi and main course items like Kakra Jhal, Chingri Malai Curry and Kochi Pathar Mangsho. Don’t miss the Baked Rosogolla and Malpua Rabri for dessert. 
Pocket pinch: Rs  1,260 

Where: De Sovrani, DD Block  
When: April 14 -15 
What:  Rajakiya Paat, the Nava Varsha platter with 25 items
Pocket pinch: Rs 1250 
What: Poila Bhoj, a buffet of 33 items
Pocket pinch: Rs 1075
What: Sand, the restaurant at the D.C. Paul group hotel, is known for fusion food. But for Nava Varsha, they are sticking to the traditional cookbook. 
The buffet will be a mix of east Bengal and west Bengal items. The east-west balance is there in every course. With Dhonepatar Bora there is Dimer Devil among the alternatives in the starters, with Murighonto-Bhaat there is Mishti Pulao, with Kharkolbata there is Lalshaak, with Phulkopir Rosa  there is Dhokar Dalna and with Jirebata diye Shukto there is Jamidarbarir Shukto. “The former has just cumin seed phoron. The latter requires addition of cream and is sweet,” explains executive chef Kaushik Dhar. The a la carte menu is all West Bengal. Both includes a drink on the house.
Restospeak: “We are a young team and we want to make you feel proud to be a Bengali while tasting our food,” said Kamalini Paul, director.

Where: The Sojourn, KB Block
When: April 15 
What: The Baisakhi Mahabhoj buffet will present a melange of epar and opar Bangla. Sous chef Sekhar Biswas has prepared innovative items like Nabadiganta Morich Murgi, a chicken preparation involving marination with milk and poppyseed paste and cooked on slow fire. That is one of the eight non-vegetarian dishes on offer, including hilsa, pabda, bekti and prawn dishes. While at lunchtime there is only the buffet, for dinner, there is both buffet and the a la carte menu to order. 
Pocket pinch: Rs 945 (buffet)
Restospeak: “We have tried to innovate with small details like cook shukto with laudnata instead of the usual sojnednata. That provides a difference in taste,” said the sous chef.

Where: The Fern Residency, New Town
When: April 14-15
What: The hotel has placed equal emphasis on veg and non-veg options. There will be variations in the menu on the two days. If there is Tel Koi on Saturday there will be Pabdar Jhal on Sunday. Echor Chingri will be replaced by Potol Chingri the next.There will also be a concise set menu for vegetarians with round the year offerings.
Pocket pinch: Rs 996

Not just Bengal, April 15 marks New Year day in Kerala too. So if you feel like exploring how the occasion is celebrated in god’s own country, head to the Vishu food festival at GD Block’s Kurry ’n’ Kebab. 

“Onam and Vishu are the most important festivals of the state,” says Rajesh Menon, a Malayali who is a partner at Kurry ’n’ Kebab. And food is an important part of it.” So expect a thali, served on banana leaf, with more than 20 dishes.

The staff will be staying over at the restaurant the previous night, in preparation. “At 4am we shall bathe, don new dhoti-kurtas, pray and then cook,” smiles K. Surendran Nair, the sweet 72-year-old Malayali head chef.

Any auspicious occasion in Kerala is strictly vegetarian but you won’t miss mutton as you dig into Aviyal (made of papaya, chal kumro, and coconut), Kootu Curry (made of channa, kachkolka, ol and carrots) and Pachadi (a tangy mixed vegetable curry). 

“Since the meal is served on a banana leaf, most items are dry or have a thick gravy. It’s just sambar, rassam and a Moong Dal preparation that are watery and will be served on the rice. The chef adds that the Moong Dal preparation is one of the toughest on his list. “It uses jaggery and coconut milk and takes two hours to make,” he says. 
Menon’s personal favourite is the tangy Mambazha mango curry, made of curd, coconut and chilli. 

The Rs 400 thali will be a lunch-only affair, as is the custom in the southern state, and prior reservations is a must. “This part of town has many Malayalis working in the IT sector or studying in institutes like NUJS. They have been making bookings but for Onam we had more Bengalis. Let’s see what happens this time,” smiles Menon.