Kolkatans, did you miss Monkey Bar? It's back and better than ever!

This year, we know what’s staying packed for Durga Puja! Located right inside Magma House across Allen Park, Kolkata’s first and most loved gastropub, Monkey Bar gets its second innings. The moment we entered the space, its cool ‘monkey’-themed décor caught our attention. A huge banana seat at the entrance is a sure-shot space for all the photo ops.

Moving along the staircase to the two-floored diner, we came face to face with quirky monkey and Kolkata-themed murals, pastel grey upholstery, dim lights that set the mood for cosy conversations, and light music to keep us company.

As Monkey Bar reopens in Kolkata, here's what we recommend you to try

We kicked off lunch with the refreshing spiced guava-flavoured Park Street Corner, a beverage which not just energized us in the heat but also stood as a nostalgic metaphor for the location of the establishment itself. Layered with a generous amount of Maharashtra’s famous thecha came our first starter, the Thecha Paneer. Complete with the spice of green chilies and the tang of tomato salsa, the flavours complemented each other in this vegetarian starter. Fusing traditions from the sands of Rajasthan and the colours of Mexico was the Laal Maas Phulka. Braised and shredded lamb in chilli pickle, ker sangri, and onion and mint coriander chutney lent all the chatpata flavour to fulfill your snack cravings with this taco. The Banana Blossom Satay was a surprise with its savoury banana flowers and sweet potato tandoor mix served with the pungent, quintessential Kolkata kasundi.

The mains were an elaborate spread with too many choices. The Prawn Stars truly made the succulent prawns the star of the dish. Tossed in ghee roast masala with a splash of lime juice, it was a good beginning. For vegetarians, the Smoky makhni paneer, with a lush, velvety, creamy texture and coal-smoked notes, made us very full. One of their signatures Butter Chicken Khichdi is back on the menu and the tuning of vegetarian khichdi and non-vegetarian butter chicken went impeccably good making it the star of the lunch. We had the course finale with the Sourdough chilli garlic naan with chicken ghee roast. While naan and ghee roast is unmistakably a classic, the tangy sourdough twist elevated the flavours.

We wrapped up the meal with Nutella Old Monk Cake. Gooey, chocolaty, with a hint of Old Monk, it was a dessert that made our calorie watch go for a toss, and we ended up (gladly) sinning by leaving no trace of the cake on the plate.

At 24 Park Street, Magma House

Open noon – midnight / 2 am (Friday / Saturday)

Price for two (approx.): Rs 1200+ (without alcohol) / Rs 2000+ (with alcohol)

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