A visit to the newly opened Indu Coffee House

Indu Coffee House just off Lord’s More in South Kolkata is a tiny jewel of Bangaliana. Enter the quaint café and you are greeted with its wall paintings depicting the essence of Bengal, a chandelier that reminds you of medieval performing arts, and the highlight of the interiors, a functional swing. The café which opened its doors in May has since been garnering attention, especially from the young and family crowds with its food and beverages. Indulge went to check out the place too.

While we waited for the food, owner Pramit Bhattacharyya mentions, “We had been planning for a café for a long time to cater to the café culture in the city. In fact, I wanted it to be a Bengali café taking into consideration both hygiene and price points. This café has been named by my father, after my wife, Indrani. We cover Bengali and continental cuisines. Also, being a resident of Lake Gardens, I feel there is a special charm in having a venture in a place you are so familiar with.”

Up first was the truly indulgent Kit Kat Shake. A chocolaty blast with kit kat flavoured chocolate milk, ice cream, and a kit kat chunk on top, the drink was truly a chocolate lover’s haven. Every sip had a kit kat aftertaste which remained on the palate long after.

Next was a Grilled Fish platter served with boiled vegetables, gondhoraj lebu, garlic and lemon wash, and rice. The freshly grilled fish on broccoli and potato was soft and juicy and the garlic and lemon wash added the much-desired smokey and citrusy flavour to it. 

The Desi non-veg combo came next which consisted of loochis, fried rice, chicken, aloo dum, cholar dal, salad, and sweet dish. While the loochis could have been a bit warmer, the hot savoury cholar dal made up for it. Chunks of dal in mildly spicy savoury gravy were all one could have asked for. Similarly, the aloo dum was made with perfectly soft potatoes in non-spice gravy. The chicken gravy was mildly spicy and the meat could have been softer to dig into.

The last of the lot was the Lemon Ice-Tea with Mint. The drink exuberated a fresh mint flavour and was cool and refreshing to sip into at first; however, the tea was a bit too strong giving off a mildly bitter aftertaste. If you like your tea strong, then this should be on your list. 

While there is scope for improvement, Indu Coffee House definitely has an ambience suitable for visiting with friends, family, and children for a quiet meal at an affordable price.

Open from noon to 11 pm

Price for two (approx.): Rs 650+