A breathtaking tree house constructed around a branched out ficus, a children's park, an enclosure for rescued cats, dogs and rabbits and a whole indoor area for your kids to tickle their grey cells. If you are wondering what we are talking about, it's The Backyard, an upscale cafe spread across a sprawling 29,000 sq ft of indoor and outdoor space in Topsia, off the bustling EM Bypass.
.jpg?w=640&auto=format%2Ccompress)
This property is the most thoughtful addition to the city's swelling number of hangout joints, perhaps the only space that intelligently incorporates elements appealing to the parents and their toddlers alike. Now, young moms no longer need to suffer guilt pangs of leaving their little ones back at home with sitters, while they steal a few hours to chill with their friends over a lazy brunch or coffee.
“The idea behind The Backyard was to create a free, open space for families and friends to come together and spend some quality time over food and fun," tells Sinaya Azhar Khan, partner of The Backyard.
As we sat in the outdoor area, soaking in the sights and sounds of nature, we couldn't help notice how mindfully Sinaya has done up the entire space with recycled wood from the trees that were uprooted during the ravaging Amphan cyclone in 2020. Interestingly, the parking pavement right in front of the entrance has been done up in sustainable and environment-friendly paver tiles innovatively created out of leather sludge. We also loved the eco-friendly mosquito repellent made of eucalyptus and citronella that was sprayed intermittently to keep the stingers at bay.
With so much care and consciousness all around, it was natural to expect a curation of an equally impactful menu replete with healthier versions of popular dishes. Keeping in mind how Kolkata has fast woken up to the evolving global culinary culture, Sinaya has taken quite a few risky creative liberties and they have paid off successfully.
"We wanted to create a menu that’s nutritious and sustainable and when we consulted Nikhita Patel from Disco Dabba, we were so glad to be on the same page. Our food is freshly prepared with the very best local ingredients sourced from across the country," informs Sinaya.
So, you will get a taste of the sun-dried tomatoes, nuts and seeds from the valleys of Kashmir, pure ghee from ‘Gir’ cows and some of the best coffees from Chikmagalur estates among the ingredients.
We started off with a toothsome crepe platter consisting of millet, peanut butter and chocolate varieties followed by wood-fired, super seed flatbread. The delectable Japanese Soba noodles rich in rainbow veggies drizzled with kitchen-made Thai peanut sauce was also a flavourful filling dish.
We simply drooled over their Grilled Bekti with pea coulis and runner beans. Glazed with freshly-made chimichurri sauce, the fish had an unusually tasteful note that stays with you for a long time. You can also try their equally irresistible healthy burgers, pizzas, quesadillas and oat waffles.
The impressive flavour trail will soon be adding a few new dishes including summer and monsoon specials besides an elevated catering menu, Sinaya lets us know.
Meal for two: Rs 1,200 + (Entry fee per child Rs 1000)