The Lords and Barons will transport you to the medieval era

Kolkata’s g astro-scape now has a historically relevant, medieval era- inspired tavern-cum- l o u n g e f e a t u r i n g a n eclectic curated fusion menu. The Lords and Barons, an English-style gastro lounge with a focus on fine dining and live music, has opened up at the heart of Park Street. Drop by for a throwback experience, set in a late Victorian 6,000 sq ft setup, even as the in-house DJ belts out techno R&B, and you get to gorge on a plate of Bangers and Mash set in front of you. When we say best of fusion, we mean it. Where else can you eat a Narkel Chingri Risotto under massive stained arched windows, overlooking the bustling cityscape? The lords and barons of this establishment acknowledge the past in a core aesthetic format, but it’s not all about art deco-inspired decadence and rococo exaggerations. With its wall of war-time artefacts, vintage draping, retro stuccoed ceilings, wooden staircases, custom-made furniture from Jodhpur, and of course, the medieval era-themed menu, The Lords and Barons cultivates the past to meet the tastes of the urban-minded gastronome. “We offer a number of choices to customers — the moment they step into the property, they can choose to dance to EDM on the first floor. If they’re looking for a fine dining experience with some live retro music, they can go to the second floor. We’re also coming up with a r o o f - t o p l o u n g e s o o n , ” s ay s Siddhartha Gupta, who co-owns the joint along with Sekhar Chatterjee and Rabiul Haque.

Jay-Z and Irish stew

The first floor of the gastro lounge functions as a café till 7 pm every evening, after which it transforms into a groovy tavern and lounge with a dancing area, with huge windows looking out over the lively Park Street. This is where we sat as the in-house DJ played us some Jay-Z, and a staff member b r o u g h t u s o u r first mocktail — a Mermaid Lemonade with fermented coconut water, lavender syrup and lime juice mixed in a ceramic coconut tumbler. A l o n g w i t h i t arrived the first batch of the appetisers, Beetroot Aur Amley Ke Kebab and a crispy potato steak called Tower of Monuments — both of which were like canapé-styled flavor bombs in our mouths. The menu also has a section named ‘Don’t Drink on an Empty Stomach’, featuring some old-school staples like Shepherd’s Pie, Luck of the Irish Stew, lamb stew cheekily titled Mary Had a Lamb, p o a ch e d a n d f r i e d chickpea dumplings c a l l e d R a j p u t a n a ’s Legacy, and more. The assorted Mushroom and Cheese dish, served on a crostini, was delightful. Then, Chef Sukanta Mondal himself b r o u g h t o u t t h e f a n t a s t i c a l ly p l at e d entrée, called a Farm Boy’s Dream. A tender-grilled chicken steak with carrot mash and red wine sauce, the dish resonated perfectly with the theme of the space. But the showstopper of our evening was definitely the Malai Chingri Risotto — arborio rice cooked with tender coconut, cream gravy, cheese, and fresh prawns — the most indulgent and finely plated fusion gourmet our ever-curious taste buds can ask for.

Chilli halwa, anyone?

Next on our course was a thin-crust tropical Jamaican Paradise pizza, followed by a Sponge Cake with ice cream called American Magic, and the Chef ’s Signature Hot Stuff, which is a chilli halwa served with ice cream. A unique dessert made of Jaipur chillies, milk, mewa, sugar and cooked in ghee, the latter made for the perfect ending to our meal.

Price for two: Rs 1,000 plus tax

Timings: 4 pm to midnight.