12 New Places That Opened In Kolkata In 2018 Which You Have To Try

The city’s nomnom factor got a new high with the opening of a Korean bakery (Kolkata’s first). Foodies can head to New Town to get high on all things Korean — from bread to buns, donuts, coffee, bowl meals and even pickles to traditional Korean hanbok (a form of Korean clothing) and even martial arts dolls! The place is run by Seok Jung, a trained barista from Korea and his wife, Sojin Lee. The Korean twisted donut with a mild brew coffee, and the bakery’s red bean bread, custard buns and the mini choux can’t be missed.

Read more about it here.

Kolkata’s trendiest café hood, the area around Purna Das Road and Southern Avenue, is rocking it like a bawse. And it got a cool new addition when Tollygunge’s The Chaiwala opened a new outlet. Their BLT sandwich melted our hearts with a generous dose of bacon, chicken and eggs. You’ll catch us here often munching on that and the sencha and lemongrass tea.

German lady Franziska Marie’s quaint little place done up in pristine white is true to its essence and has some of the best European treats and coffee in the city. Sit by the large glass doors and it’s a perfect nook to enjoy a cuppa and a book and watch life go by on the street outside. They have a huge range of indulgent treats — eclairs, tarts, macarons, tea cakes, cheesecakes, gateau and cookies. Made from fresh and premium ingredients, Franziska goes to great lengths to keep her treats absolutely preservative and essence free. In fact, her macarons are even gluten free.

More here.

Our diet plans got tossed out the window in 2018. Hot and crispy fries topped with the choicest ingredients – cheesy, bacon-topped, or with chicken bits, fries ruled our palates. They were always a big part of menus, but dedicated fries eateries arrived on our shores only in 2018. Popular Mumbai-based chain The J arrived with a menu that featured around 30 kinds of deep-fried goodness and thick milkshakes. Bangalore’s Tall Blonde French (TBF) also came in with 31 different kinds of fries from butter chicken to pizza flavoured and nachos and beans mix. Next up was local brand Fries Befor Guys.

The folks behind one of our fave food hangouts, The Blue Poppy, launched two brand new standout eateries. We’ve been stuffing our faces with the open momos and pickled pork trotters at their new Nepali  joint Thakali. And then there’s Shim Shim off Park Circus. You absolutely cannot miss out on the beef kothay – steamed momos stuffed with beef and lightly pan fried on one side – it’s crispy, light, juicy, deliciousness. The beef phalay is another must try. A fried Tibetan pancake, it’s stuffed with beef and is a simple crispy delight. Now we’re just waiting for a really good Naga food joint in Kolkata!

A visual arts space centred mostly on photography, The Lighthouse is where we work when our WiFi is on the blink. We adore this cafe-cum-bookstore with a black wooden deck, artworks, and the upcycled furniture and bare brick walls. Their specialty coffees are excellent, as are the seasonal smoothies and juices, and sandwiches and desserts. They also sell rare signed copies of books on art, and popular art journals. This is a place to feed your appetite and your brain!

South Kolkata people were delighted when Kolkata’s legendary Chinese goods brand, Pou Chong, came closer with a brand new store-cum-fast food kiosk in Kasba offering a slew of traditional Chinese grub such as dim sums, bao, sui mai, and soups (if you’re on the lookout for fish ball soup, here’s where you get it!). The pork roast is to die for, made the Mandarin way with fried crispy skin on the outside and tender juicy meat inside. They have more than a dozen kinds of bao — not just the regular chicken and pork but also chicken honey sesame bao and hot garlic bao. The menu starts at just INR 40 so two can feed here for under INR 300! Read more about it here and here.

Every nook and corner of this place will incite some serious wanderlust – a quote by famous American hiker Christopher McCandless on a wall, a colourful world map on the ceiling and figures from Tintin comics galavanting around the world. Look out for the sprawling intricately detailed ink sketches of Kolkata by renowned artist Rathin Mitra and the framed photos of landscapes, mountains, birds and wildlife sent by by friends and travellers. One of the highlights here is the stacks of books on travel (in Bengali and English). They also hold talks and discussions with travel writers and photographers.

More here.

Tucked inside an upscale modern apartment in Salt Lake’s Sector V, AltAir occupies three floors of luxury (floors 19-21). They have twenty-three Rajasthani-styled rooms to put up in, and amenities like jacuzzi, an infinity pool, a sunbathing deck and a fitness studio. The best place to unwind would be their rooftop that acts as a sky bar by day and a resto-bar by night. Capella calls itself a restobar-kitchen-brewery-sky bar. This 90-seater is located on the 20th floor of AltAir, and offers a wide range of bite-size gourmet plated delights from liquid bowls and entrees to mains and desserts. Attached to the restaurant is the Capella Sky Bar — with panoramic views, it is the city’s newest party destination. Expect an in-house DJ, live gigs, a full bar and sumptuous cocktail snack options.

So, push work out of your mind and enjoy an indulgent staycation at AltAir.

More here.

An open courtyard space, incredible view, minimal decor, sophisticated European food, Kolkata’s newest rooftop dining space, The Salt House, is perfect for brunch and date night. The open courtyard area has a stage for live performances, and they have a lounge-bar with a DJ booth and a cafe area. The space works well for day to night. In the day, you can look out at the city and in the evening, it is lit by the stars and city lights. Brunch plans with the squad or date night in the evening, the open rooftop transforms its vibe to fit both moods. All day breakfast, eggs for dinner, pancakes for tea time, salad for brunch, the menu is perfect for dining through the day. And they have handmade pasta, sauces made from scratch in-house, and wood-fired pizza!

More here.

Starbucks finally opened their doors in the City of Joy this year with three outlets (all on the same day). The flagship store is on Park Street in Park Mansions. The other two outlets are in Acropolis and South City. They have specific desserts available only in Kolkata stores: the chamcham tiramisu and the chocolate rasmalai mousse. Although it may sound really ‘out there’, the desserts are actually really well executed balancing the signature Starbucks flavours with the comforting so-Kolkata ones.

More here.