Silver Grill (Park Street)

Silver grill (Park Street Kolkata) Interiors

Like Mags & Olypub, this bar cum Chinese restaurant, Silver Grill has been an old hangout zone for college students and after office crowd for well over three decades. The cheap prices of alcoholic drinks & classic cocktails are the major thing that attracts its regular customers of Park Street. It has two levels, the ground floor having the bar counter and the first floor restaurant invites only family. The interiors feature dim lighting, red colored leather sofas, tall wooden tables, and ragged interiors with hardly any wall decoration.

One Step Up - Park Street

One Step Up Interiors

Chef's Special Chicken (Melted Cheese oozing from Chicken Legs)

Moroccan Chicken

Located next to the legendary Flurys on Park Street, One Step Up multi-cuisine (European / Continental and Indian) restaurant does efficient business. As you enter you go down a few steps and the tables are spread at lower than the ground level. A curled staircase leads on to the first floor, where more tables are spread out. The place has a casual and cozy ambience. The secret to its success is probably quick service, big portions and food quality all the way. Caesar Salad, Chicken Shashlik, Chicken Mexicana, Fish ‘n’ Chips are hot orders. Other good dishes are Chicken Facon Du Chef, Chicken Ala Kiev, Moroccan Chicken (fried chicken breast, salad and tomato rice), Chicken Paprika, chef’s special chicken (melted cheese oozing from chicken legs, boiled vegetables and potato), Grilled Fish in Lemon Butter Sauce and Chicken Siciliane. Their Continental mix of Fish Muniere, Golden-fried Prawns, Chicken Tetrazzini and Veg Florentine are much in demand. The international section of the menu has a good mix of Burmese Khauk-swe, club sandwiches, French fries and Italian pastas. A wide variety of whiskey and wine brands are available at the bar which is located on the ground floor. The prices are reasonable; most continental dishes which can serve 1 person’s main course are Rs. 320 (inc. taxes). A complete meal (without drinks) for two persons is Rs. 700 (inclusive of taxes). I would not recommend the Indian food here, although they have quite a wide variety of Indian section too, and if you do order Indian, do not order fish here. The mezzanine floor is the favorite eating-out experience for all age groups: families, friends and colleagues. It has Bright, fashionable decor, with a great view of the busy street through the big glass panes; if by ill-luck you get a seat next to it, then be sure to be ogled at by the outsiders. There are a few prints by Kandinsky and what not; and the interior decorator tried valiantly to make the place look chic; the major faux pas is the furniture; it kind of hurts your back, if you sit on it for long because of the very hard steel back rests. The seating arrangement gives one a vague impression of the management trying to make the best of all the space available; net result being, that eavesdropping is quite easy; more on the sides of an inevitability. The seating arrangement could have been more comfortable and with a little more class.

Location: 18-A, Park Street, Middleton Row, Kolkata-700071

Contact No.: (033)-22295339, (033)-30283379, (+91)-9830135809

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Shiraz Golden Restaurant - Park Circus

Shiraz Main Entrance

Biriyani

Shiraz is one of the most renowned restaurants in Kolkata that is well-known for its exceptional biryani. That is not to say that it’s not known for chaaps, kebabs and Tandoori Chicken; they are as famous as the Kolkata Biryani that they make. Kolkata's biriyani is different from its Lucknowi or Hyderabadi cousins! But as a hard-core food addict, I swear by Kolkata's Biriyani to be the tastiest amongst the 3 cousins. Blame it on my palate or partiality towards Kolkata - but for biriyani, I would rather wait for a seat at Shiraz Kolkata than at Abid's or Paradise at Hyderabad. A very contentious topic in Kolkata "where to get the best BIRIYANI?". Kolkata Food lovers swear by their favourite joints and very often, this becomes a topic for a heated argument. I know many other Kolkatans would instantly think of some of its closest competitors like Arsalan, Nizam’s or Aminia being better that Shiraz, but I am a die-hard fan of Shiraz when it comes to biriyani! The rice used in Shiraz's biriyani is slender, smooth and unbroken. And then when you take a spoonful of its mutton or chicken biriyani, it almost melts in your mouth! Legend has it that biriyani was never made with chicken - only recently has the modern Bong demanded the "lesser evil" chicken over mutton - and hence we have chicken biriyani.

Dawaat-e-Shiraz - Tulip Inn (Park Circus)

Main Entrance

 

Tulip Inn- Kolkata is a chic 3 star deluxe hotel, modern and contemporary in design; it has retained the spirit and charm of the traditions of India and blended these with the latest technology. The hotel is located at a very convenient location in the heart of the city nearby Park Street with all major tourist attractions, corporate hub and recreational facilities in vicinity.

Interiors of Daawat-e-Shiraz

Ceiling Lamps

Tulip Inn and Shiraz Restaurants Pvt. Ltd. launched Daawat-e-Shiraz, touted to be Kolkata’s first Awadhi fine dining restaurant. It is situated right at the place where the original mallik-bazar Shiraz had been. Shiraz golden restaurant though had been shifted right on the opposite flank of the road. This 50 cover restaurant takes pride of serving traditional “Bawarchi Khana” of the Nawab of Awadh. The expertise of the chefs adds to the fineness in preparing a wide array of delicacies for the connoisseurs delight. According to history, when Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was dethroned and banished to Metiabruz, he brought with him an entourage of 1000 Bawarchis (mughal chefs) and Khansamas from Lucknow. The Nawab, known for his penchant to splurge on art, music and food had granted a rare authority to his chefs. Chef Shammuddin, a direct descendant of Wajid Ali Shah’s royal kitchen was the first one to introduce authentic Awadhi cuisine in Kolkata. It was he who created the recipe of what Kolkatans fondly call the world renowned “Shiraz’s Biryani”. The recipe, that gives it a cut above the others, is still a secret and is only shared with the next generation of the family. Although Awadhi cuisine has traveled far and wide, but it is believed that only a handful of chefs with royal Khansamas lineage know the secret ingredients. Spices like zafran, cinnamon and cardamom, dried fruits and herbs are used extensively.

Complimentary Papad & chutneys

Tandoori Chiken

Kebabs and Biriyani

Interiors

The interiors of Dawaat-e-Shiraz are inspired by very contemporary and elegant existence; the food is authentic, delicate, and traditional and the atmosphere is a brew of many moods. There are see-through glass panes on the side of the main Park St. The intricate lamps on the ceiling give perfect lighting to the white marble tables surrounded by large comfy cushioned chairs. The atypical combination of cuisine attaches a certain sense of uniqueness to the place. It features quite a detailed menu. Complimentary papad, chutney and their own unique sauces are given to diners. One can begin their meal with the Paya Shorba followed by Kabab-e-Tashtari which just melts into your mouth. The main course includes Dal Awadhi, Kofta Nargisi, Sheermal, Bakarkhani, Murg Anjeer, Oudh Murg Biryani, Oudh Gosht Biryani, Gosht Shahi Stew and Lucknowi Masaledaar Macchi, amongst host of other delectable delicacies. The biryani is light, fluffy, fragrant and quite unlike the overpowering preparation that is usually paraded as the real thing. The meal allows just enough room for desert and the Shahi Chand ka Tukra, Awadhi Firni etc, which are the exact climax one would be looking for. Any kebab and tandoori items might take 15-20 minutes to be served from the time ordering. Being a 3-star, the prices are on the higher side, but the food is worth it. Biriyani costs around Rs. 312 (inc. taxes). Half Tandoori chicken costs the same and is served cut into 4 pieces. A fully fledged meal for two would cost Rs. 1000- 1200 (inc. taxes). It is open from 1200 hrs to 1530 hrs and 1930 hrs to 2330 hrs daily. Parking could be a problem in busy hours. Head here when you have a couple of hours to spare and craving for good Awadhi food.

Tulip Inn main building view

Location: Tulip Inn Hotel, 56 Park Street, Mallik-bazar crossing, Kolkata – 700016

Contact No.: (+91) 33 40250000, (+91) 33 40250001, (+91) 9830053062, (+91) 8420009917

Visit http://www.tulipinnkolkata.com/ for more information.

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Barista Lavazza - Park Street

Barista Lavazza Espresso Bar, with its designed orange walls and cushioned wooden chairs gives you the perfect taste of Italian coffee. Take a pick from some of the lip smacking delicacies from menu and give a refreshing start to your day or even while taking a break in the evening. It’s a good place to hang out with friends over coffee and some snacks. You’ll surely like the coffee here, though it comes for a price, given the brand name. Also when you have to pass some time for some reason, you can just sit here for hours (if its not too crowded) and have coffee as your companion while surfing the net over your laptop or reading a storybook. Sandwiches cost around Rs. 89 and beverages in the range of Rs. 70 – 150. There is a guitar, if you want to play with your friends; also a wooden chessboard for customers to play. Barista sells chocolates, soft-toys, key-chains, coffee mugs, coffee maker, coffee beans and other coffee related accessories as well. There are two floors to accommodate tables for customers to relax, though only a few of them have comfy sofas associated with them. The meal for 2 is economical as compared to Barista Lavazza standards; it costs Rs. 351 inclusive of taxes. It consists of two sandwiches- each two slices (from a choice of chicken tikka, paneer masala, smoked chicken), two beverages (from choice of Hot coffee and brrista cold coffee) and also a dessert (choice of chocolate excess and apple pie). There is meal for 4 as well, which is around Rs. 550-600. For more information on menu and store locations (Total 11 in Kolkata), check their website http://www.barista.co.in/users/index.aspx

Oasis - Park Street

OASIS is a bar-cum-restaurant located just beside olypub. The interior is not so good, but the sofas are really comfortable, and the air conditioning equally cold in summers and the service is also good. Getting a table is easy, as there not too much rush of people unlike other cheap restaurants, and it has two floors to accommodate a lot of people. You can see a nice part of Park Street through the transparent glass panes. The downstairs is lit very brightly in comparison to upstairs. Many cocktails like screwdriver, bloody Mary, Orange Blossom, Mint Julep, Caesar, Tequila Sunrise are available. Beer costs around Rs. 140. The Tandoori Chicken and kebab items are really scrumptious. The average cost for food and beverages for 2 persons is around Rs. 800-900.

Location: 33, Park Street, Opp. Music World

Contact No.: +(91)-(33)-22299033, 30231033

Mags (Magnolia) - Park Street

The dim lighting at MAGS (also known as Magnolia) is perfect cover for its simple brown interiors. The furniture isn’t anything fancy either. Mags sticks to the theme of simplicity with basic chairs, leather-covered sofas and sturdy tables. However, the no-frills interior doesn’t mean that it’s unclean. The restaurant and bar cover two floors, the lower level being the “family section”. However, the upper level is mostly frequented by men who drop by for a few after-hour drinks. Because of the rock-bottom prices for the tipple, one can drink like a fish here, even on a shoe-string budget. There’s lot to choose from as well—regular whiskeys to premium liquor like Teachers. If you're lucky, you’d find Black Label as well at prices you could expect only in Goa. Beer, vodka, rum and cocktails round off the bar menu. As with most multi-cuisine restaurants that serve alcohol, the food isn’t impressive enough to write home about. The vegetable dishes on the menu are simply there to make it look complete. But surprisingly, the non-veg items are great: be it starters or the mutton and fish dishes in the main course. The hot garlic chicken tastes sweeter than gulab jamun! Chili Chicken dry and spring chicken are the best starters. Do try out the Tutti Frutti in desserts.

Location: 12 K, Opposite Park Hotel, Park Street

Contact No.: +(91)-(33)-40011443, +(91)-9231549154

Olypub - Park Street

Beef Steak - Chateau Briand

Chicken A la Kiev

Mutton steak - Hamburger Steak

Olypub Entrance at Park Street Kolkata

OLYPUB is a pilgrimage for all those who love - beer, beef, Kolkata and life. Its a truly old place - one of those that emit the ‘old is gold’ feeling quite strongly.

Waldorf - Russell Street

WALDORF is one of the oldest and most traditional restaurants in Kolkata. The decor is elegant and the dishes served are exotically flavored. Its dimly lit inside with many fish acquiriums on many sides. A good meal for two persons is around Rs. 400 - 500. Originally Waldorf was situated at Park Street (present day MARCO POLO IN CHINA). Due to legal problems it has relocated to Russel Street (The Street opposite to The Park Hotel). I've tried out chicken sweet corn soup and the prawn wafers, followed by chicken noodles, sweet & sour chicken and garlic chicken. Though my favourite side dishes are Chilli Pork and Chilli Prawn Balls.

Location: 13 D, Russell Street, Midleton Row

Contact No.: +(91)-(33)-65354952, 40011424

Peter Cat - Park Street

Chelo Kebab

Kolkata's renowned PETER CAT restaurant has managed to survive both fire and the passage of time. It remains as popular now as it was when it opened, way back in the swinging sixties. This makes it one of the oldest restaurants in Kolkata. If you haven't heard of it yet, you no doubt will. Peter Cat's warm and dimly lit interior speaks of history. Waiters look resplendent in crisp Rajasthani white and red costumes, which match the colors of the restaurant's interior but curiously contrast with its name -- a name that doesn't give away much at all. If you dig around though, you'll discover it’s the namesake of a famous cat who lived in Lords cricket ground in London from 1952 to 1964 (and Kolkata is a city addicted to cricket). Another thing is the food. The menu, which comes in the shape of a cat's head, contains some real delights. Of course, I have to mention the chelo kebab. Two minced mutton kebabs and one chicken kebab, served with rice and an egg, it's legendary amongst the residents of Kolkata. However, if you feel like a break from Indian food, you'll welcome the sizzlers. They're just as sought after. I ordered the chicken steak sizzler (chicken breast, vegetables, egg, and sauce) and it was cooked to perfection. Both meals are priced at around Rs. 200.

Location: 18 A, Near Music World, Park Street

Contact No.: +(91)-(33)-22298841, 22172942

Chicken Steak Sizzler

Mayonnaise Chicken

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Aladdin - Mirza Ghalib St. (Free School St.)

Aladdin (an Anglicisation of the Arabic name Alā ad-Dīn, Arabic: علاء الدين literally "nobility of the faith") is one of the tales of medieval Arabian origin in the ‘The Book of One Thousand and One Nights’ (Arabian Nights). This North Indian, Mughlai restaurant is new & is not so well-known but offers tasty kababs and biriyani at reasonable prices of Rs. 250 for two persons.

Location: 55, Mirza Galib Street
Contact No.: 033 40646235, +91 9163514225

On Track - Mirza Ghalib St. (Free School St.)

On Track is cool for kids as it has an artificial railway bogey & an engine where a person sits & enjoys the food; Special effects of vibration & sound of train is also present to add a bit more . An almost full-sized steam train heads straight for the window offering parents a unique, up market dining experience in leather-seated Pullman carriages while the kids play in the locomotive. Over-keen waiters flock like vultures but food standards vary. Apart from all this the paneer butter masala, Crispy chilly baby corn rocks! I should also mention that this place is a little less known in Park Street area but is worth visiting.
Location: 25 B, Park Street
Contact No.: +(91)-(33)-22273955, 22273956 

Tung Fong- Mirza Ghalib St. (Free School St.)

Tung Fong serves authentic Chinese as their main cuisine. I discovered that Tung Fong is run by a Chinese family from Tangra. They also run Kimling & Beijing at Tangra. The ambience is quite elegant & it is one of the very few restaurants in that area which has a buffet in the afternoon; it is economical, tasty and has loads of items from different types of salads, starters, Sweet Corn Soup (veg) & Thai soup (non-veg), veg wanton, crispy baby corn, dim sums, fried mushroom, chili potato, red chilly chicken, smoked lamb, garlic prawns, Yang Chu fried rice, Hakka noodles, Honey Glazed Chicken, Kung Pao Prawn, Thai Garlic Fish other gravy side dishes. It also serves complimentary beverage from choices of beer, lime soda, aerated drinks & others. There is vanilla ice-cream with hot chocolate sauce as dessert in the buffet apart from fruits. I had once invited many friends to this place on my birthday. The buffet price per head at that time was around Rs.280, but now it has risen to Rs. 456 (inclusive of taxes)*. In the night, there is À la carte & it is advisable to avoid the weekends as there is rush, which is natural due to the low costs but the thing is the waiting time there is very high and that is not because of heavy rush, but because the service turn around time is very high there. If possible do a telephonic reservation, but as we know, Bengalis go for dinner unplanned as the way it should be! 
Location: 25/B, Park Street
Contact No.: +(91)-(33)-22174969, 22174989, +(91)-9831083530, 9903019200

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*Price updated on Mar 2013

PARK STREET - BAR-B-Q

Park Street remains Kolkata's foremost dining district, with many restaurants and pubs. It is often known as "Food Street" and "The Street that Never Sleeps". Park Street has been the recreation zone for Kolkata people since the British era. However, in the last 20 years, many new restaurants, malls, 5-star hotels and nightclubs have opened in other areas of the city and Park Street has lost much of its earlier attraction as being the numero uno entertainment hub of Kolkata. However, it is still one of the prime commercial and entertainment zones of the city. Park Street is traditionally decorated with lights on Christmas Day and New Year's Eve.

We will discuss the most happening places, night life and disco / lounge bars at some later posts. However now I move on with providing some information about the places that I have recently gone to in Park Street.

One of the oldest restaurants is BAR-B-Q. Its interiors and ambience gives you a feeling about the heritage and culture of Kolkata. They make their Chinese food according to their own style. For eg., I found tomato and mushroom in a Bar-b-q special fried rice, and cashew nuts in a chicken Kong pao dish (Picture provided in the left side). The prices were moderate ranging from Rs 120 - 130 for rice, noodles type items. And all chicken side dishes were Rs. 220. There are many chicken, fish, prawn items that can be found on the menu. The quantity for each rice and chicken dish is however more than sufficient for two persons. And you could find Chinese Horoscope on the tables ;P .Adjacent to this restaurant is its Chinese counterpart  called Flavours Of China.

Location: 43/47/55 Karnani Mansion, Park Street, Beside Mc Donalds

Contact No.: +(91)-(33)-22299916, 22299078, 30281190, 22298885 +(91)-9874636164, 9874899054

Mocambo- Mirza Ghalib St. (Free School St.)

Mirza Ghalib Street, previously known as Free School Street, is a street that joins S. N. Banerjee Road with Park Street in Central Kolkata. This area is famous for cheap hotels and eateries. Many foreign visitors reside in these cheap yet reliable hotels. The used book and record shops sport an eclectic collection due to trade with generations of budget travelers the world over. 

Mocambo opened its doors in 1956, a European oasis of glamour and jazz on Park Street, Calcutta’s famous cabaret row. It is an old but classy restaurant which still has an odd jumble of Europeanisms: a mural of faux Degas ballerinas, red vinyl banquettes, red silk lampshades hanging like upside-down tulips. Fish à la Moutarde is grilled beckty, a Bay of Bengal delicacy, drenched in a spicy mustard sauce, whose virtues a Bengali can croon about. Angels on Horseback is chicken wrapped in bacon. Fish à la Diana is indulgence itself: beckty, stuffed with prawn and cooked in cream. I would recommend everyone to try the Pepper Devilled crab & Stuffed tandoori chicken as starter and Chicken Paparika in the main course. Among soups the cream of Chicken Soup is just excellent. Among desserts don’t forget to try the Ice cream with hot chocolate sauce. However be prepared to wait for a long time before you get a place to sit though, especially on weekday evenings! Though the live music stopped 20 years ago, Mocambo boasts of a charm which none of the other restaurants in that area can parallel, this is a place where the cuisine Steaks are simply over-whelming.

Location: 25 B, Opp Flurrys, Park Street
Contact No.: +(91)-(33)-22654300, 22290095

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