The food scene in Kolkata is currently seeing an overwhelming number of lounge bars sprouting up at every nook and corner of the city. A few among them are turning into popular spots for the millennials to let their hair down over great food and drink. The latest noteworthy additions to the ever-increasing list include Sky Bar, Wykiki and Episode One.
To add to that, The Westin Rajarhat Kolkata has recently come up with a swank lounging space across its top two floors from where you can have a bird’s-eye view of New Town while chilling with a glass of your favourite beverage.
We went to check out this 10,000 sq ft, 170-seater, lounge bar called 31/32, spread across the two floors and were impressed by the vibrant interiors that emanate shades of gold, white and red. The lounge at 31 has an elaborate seating arrangement overlooking the expansive city, where you can simply chill out for a few hours and de-stress over the choicest drinks and finger food.
But, if the weather plays fair and you’re game for a good time with your crew then the open-air, al-fresco style area at 32 is probably a better choice. Done up in white, with potted plants adorning the walls, it transports you to one of the many rooftop resto-bars dotting the chalk-white isle of Santorini in Greece.
Apart from swish furnishings and a relaxed ambience, what really sets this spot apart is its stress on sustainable drinks. “We are making optimal use of natural resources and avoiding all kinds of synthetic syrups,” says the young bartender Subhankar Roy. We sipped into Elevate, which is made with gin, homemade exotic rosemary and thyme tincture, fresh pineapple puree and a dash of lime. It balanced our palate with its refreshing sweet and sour notes.
The house special cocktail Imliso Sour — a bourbon drink with tamarind Paloma — left a distinctly sweet aftertaste in our mouth, thanks to the jaggery. Another noteworthy concoction was the Black Gold made with Irish whiskey, chocolate bitters and coffee. The bittersweet notes cast a spell on our tastebuds and the edible gold leaves suspended in the drink perfectly complemented the gold interiors of the bar. If you are a gin person then you must go for the Prohibition Era and as the name suggests, it’s an ode to the times in the US when gin became a popular option in absence of spirits.
Our cocktails were accompanied by equally delectable dishes from the bar menu curated by sous chef Nishant Diwakar. We must say that unlike the drinks that impressed us with their novelty, the bite-size fusion platters despite being scrumptious had nothing new to offer in terms of taste. We dug into the very predictable Barbeque Chicken Wing and loved the crunchy bites but the sauce overpowered any other notes of flavour in it. We liked the Cambas Al Ajilo — non-spicy prawns sautéed in olive oil.
The Indonesian delicacy Nasi Goreng was perfect and we loved the chicken satay skewered on a lemongrass stem. Keema Bites, the non-vegetarian version of Pav Bhaji with the keema served on top of the bite-size pieces of bread was an interesting entrée, too. From the dessert section, we indulged in the rich, creamy, and crunchy texture of the Nutty Rocher and the Hazelnut Crunch Milky Chocolate Tart is also highly recommended.
Price for two: Rs 2,500 ++