Adda Spots, Pizzas In A Cone & Music Stores: Spend A Day With Your Squad At City Centre 1

Aimlessly walk around the mall {you can do a lot of walking in here – the mall is approximately 4.5 lakh square feet of commercial and entertainment spaces on five acres of land} or sit on City Centre’s iconic steps for an adda session, you can while away hours without even realising it.

The main steps surrounded by greenery have become a go-to place for couples and groups of friends in the area looking to hang out uninterrupted. Although it is perfect in winter months, the architecture of the mall allows breeze which keeps the spot cool even in the hottest of Kolkata summers.

Renowned architect Charles Correa’s contemporary cubist design defines this mall’s buildings. He shaped interesting spaces that juxtaposed with the buildings to create a modern version of Kolkata’s linear shopping streets. It is considered one of the few finely designed malls in the world.

Read more about his design idea here.

The KFC outlet of City Centre 1 is the oldest in the city – it’s over 10 years old. Although you probably remember it being much bigger a couple of years ago, the outlet may be smaller but it certainly isn’t shabbier. Sparkling floors, wooden chairs and fun quotes on the wall, it gives you an authentic fast food joint feel.

Want to grab a quick bite? Hit one of the many stalls and kiosks on the ground floor of the mall. Tea Junction, The Noodle Story, Wow Momo, kebab stands and more – there’s something for every foodie. They even have a newly-opened Konetto Pizza {yup, pizza in a cone is now in Salt Lake too!} and Keventers outlets. Whats’s awesome? You can easily get a budget meal here for under INR 150. The stalls give well-packaged food that is easy to eat without a table so you can grab a seat on one of the benches around the mall and wolf down your lunch.

Craving dessert after your meal? There are also a host of kiosks with sweet treats on the menu. Apart from Mama Mia! {which has not just the gelato, but desserts and cakes as well}, the mall also has a Kwality Walls Swirls booth and an Ola Gola stand {where you get mineral water golas inn flavours ranging from kiwi and blueberry to cotton candy for just INR 70!} You’ll also find a Pabrais booth selling natural flavours of ice cream at the entrance and a liquid nitrogen ice cream joint on the first floor.

Run out of clean jocks again? Hunting for the perfect swim suit? Gearing up for winter with thermal vests? City Centre 1 has multiple stores dedicated to undergarments for men, women and children. It has one of the biggest Jockey outlets in the city, a Rupa store and an M&W stocking undergarments, swimwear, sleepwear and more.

One of just two Jack Jones outlets in the city, this one has not just casual shirts and dailywear looks, but an extensive collection of jeans and jackets as well. Don’t miss the ‘sock rack’ near the check-out counter where they have socks with fries printed on them – so cute.

Bhagya Lakshmi is the go-to store for the residents of Salt Lake. Whether they’re looking for daily essentials {tea or ketchup} or speciality items {imported chocolate, pasta sauces – they have Ragu! – dried fruits} this store has it all. During the festive season, they also keep baskets so you can make your gifting hampers right then and there.

Bored of hanging around the mall or shopping? There’s plenty of entertainment to be had. Head to one of the city’s biggest Inox’s and grab a show; City Centre 1 also has a mehendi outlet where you can get your hands adorned for just INR 100. The third floor also has an arcade-style game zone you can hit with the kids.

Old record players, PS4 games, CDs, DVDs, Skullcandy headphones — you will find all your electronic essentials under one roof at M3. And the store has Indian and Western music old LP records; the Indian ones start at INR 600 and the Western ones {they have Pink Floyd!} start at INR 1,200. The store also stocks the rarely found PS Vita games. Their games are all MRP but you may find some gems that you can’t find on online stores which make them worth the price.