Models of dolphins at Millennium Park. Picture by Amit Datta

Forget the dusty greens of the Maidan or the crowded coffee tables of Park Street, the coolest hangout this winter will be the riverside.

And a sprawling glass restaurant is one of the reasons. The 2000-sq-ft eatery, offering a grand view of the Hooghly and the Howrah bridge, is set to open its doors on a new flank of the Millennium Park on December 27.

An open balcony and a terrace overlooking the river will be the added attractions of the restaurant, billed as the only one of its kind. Coming up on an extension of the park, it will dish out a delicious mix of food and fun.

Manicured lawns, a flower garden and musical fountains will surround the restaurant and create the right ambience for the clientele, expected to constitute mostly visitors to the park.

The Union ministry of environment and forests has pumped in Rs 1.96 crore to enlarge the park. The opening of the flank will mark the completion of Project Millennium Park.

?We are trying to work out a way to allow visitors entering through the Shipping Corporation of India gate to walk right down to the intersection of Clive Ghat Road and Strand Road on a single ticket,? said Sujit Bhattacharya, chief engineer of Calcutta Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), the executing agency of the project.

The stretch will boast of decorative trees like Champagne and Rapis Palm. The plants have been brought from Bangalore. A team of gardeners from South 24-Parganas is handling the planting work.

The restaurant is situated on one end of the added area. Concrete railings have been erected and Victorian lights installed to decorate the surroundings.

The ground floor of the restaurant ? a marble-tiled affair with creepers all around ? is an open space, where patrons will be able to enjoy Oriental and Continental cuisine.

The first floor houses the deck, adjoining air-conditioned rooms. The rooftop is also open. The kitchen has been built at the back of the building.

?We will have shades along the riverbank for the visitors to sit and enjoy the view. There will also be a 1200 sq ft restroom, with facilities for the physically-challenged. Even the entrance to the restroom will be decorated with plants,? said Chunar De, additional chief engineer of the CMDA.

Like in the rest of the park, colourful models of dolphins and liliputs dot the new flank, which will be illuminated with decorative lights at dusk.