This music-themed Kolkata cafe is all about that jazz and even has a bacon brownie

Coming to Kolkata after first opening up in Howrah, Cafe By The Lane near Deshapriya Park is a quaint music-themed diner, with a relaxed vibe and a live stage for impromptu open-mic nights.
Cafe By The Lane in Kolkata's Hindustan Park
Cafe By The Lane in Kolkata's Hindustan Park

After Cafe Je T’aime and Tintin and Brussels, here’s another cool hangout in the neighbourhood. Coming to Kolkata after first opening up in Howrah, Cafe By The Lane near Deshapriya Park is a quaint music-themed diner, with a relaxed vibe and a live stage for impromptu open-mic nights. The 25-seater café has been decorated with framed pictures of jazz icons like Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis, while also featuring rock legends such as Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix on the walls.

Howrah to Calcutta
With so many big names from music history finding their place on their walls, it comes as no surprise that the café is owned by an avid rock ’n’ roll enthusiast, who knows his music quite well. While Armit Mukherjee is the owner of the eatery, he also moonlights as the lead vocalist of his 10-year old blues band, West End. The media professional calls Howrah his home, but the idea of starting a café in South Kolkata was a thought he couldn’t ignore.“A lot of people in Howrah are yet to get used to Continental food, so I decided to start the restaurant in Kolkata, when I got the opportunity to explore it with Sanchari,” Armit tells us, as we decide what to try from the menu. Finding a business partner in Kolkata-based Sanchari Palit, who always had an interest in hospitality, he decided to cross the bridge and serve delicious European food to diners in the city.

The extensive menu offers all kinds of favourites from across Continental and American cuisines. We particularly enjoyed the names on the menu, all of which are in line with the musical theme. Consider the two and three-tier sandwiches named after guitar gods Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix and even BB King. Also expect all-day breakfasts, and a section dedicated to fish and pork. We started with garlic bread topped with a generous helping of spicy pork, accompanied by the cafe’s signature Coffee Addictive, which is bitter and unlike most frappuccinos. The Spaghetti Aglio E Olio, which came next, was spicier than we expected and had spaghetti tossed in olive oil with black olives and baby tomatoes. But the dish was light on the belly, which made us happy.

Blues over dessert
Being fans of classics ourselves, with Hey Jude by The Beatles playing in the background, the next dish proved to be an even more fun experience. Called Paradise on Earth, the dish had chicken breast, stuffed with cheese, before being coated and fried with breadcrumbs; it comes with steamed rice on the side.

Cafe By The Lane has an interesting take on the classic brownie too, and while most people do not like messing with their dessert, we decided to give it a try. Baked with bacon strips, the sweet brownie has a peculiarly sweet and salty taste, as we try it with vanilla ice cream. In the end, we had a unique taste lingering on our tongues, as we made our way home.

Meal for two Rs 800 plus taxes.

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