From fondue-style Ema Datshi to creamy hot chocolate, this Kolkata cafe offers quite a few surprises!

Everything your taste buds have craved this winter, you’d probably find on La Macario Cafe’s winter menu. An Instagram-worthy hot chocolate should be your first order, without a doubt. It’s rich, velvety and makes for a smooth, glossy pour. It’s dense and coats your throat, and yet it’s not nearly as heavy as most cafe-style variants.

We picked a Salted Caramel hot chocolate, which came topped with a light whipped cream and cute marshmallows. You can also explore other winter-favourite options like Cinnamon Bun, Hazelnut, Peppermint Praline and Tiramisu Christmas, which has hints of cocoa, coffee, and cream.

Craving hot chocolate and pasta? Try this Kolkata cafe with the best winter menu

You can also explore a Gingerbread Latte or the comforting Matcha Caramel Latte, where earthy matcha meets sweet, buttery caramel. Instead of the usual appetisers, we recommend picking something unusual like the Strawberry and Basil Cheese Wreath with Pita crackers; it has a fresh and light basil-infused cream cheese dotted with chunks of seasonal strawberry and comes with a side of spicy pita. The savouriness and mild sweetness of the dip opened up our palate and had us going for a second serving!

The Corn Chowder Soup makes for a delicious, creamy bowl elevated with a drizzle of chilli oil for a subtle kick of warmth. If you want an Asian soup, you need to explore the Glass Noodle Soup in Spicy Peanut Broth, which has a gentle heat and an easy savoury character. You can pair a hot soup with the Wine-Soaked Strawberry & Burrata Salad, especially if you want a light brunch.

If you want something more filling, don’t miss out on Broccoli Gnocchi in Arrabiata Sauce, which basically features soft, pillowy gnocchi tossed with broccoli in a spicy arrabiata sauce. The sauce makes for the perfect base; it’s silky yet robust, clinging perfectly to pasta rather than pooling at the bottom. The seasoning adds a final herbal lift and gives it a beautiful finish.

For mains, we picked the Creamy Pesto Pappardelle; now, foodies are often divided on this form of pasta as Pappardelle’s wide, flat ribbons are not commonly spotted in most menus. However, Pappardelle’s texture makes it ideal for rich, clinging sauces like a creamy pesto, slow-cooked ragù, or even buttery reductions. In this case, the vibrant, yummy pesto coats it beautifully and helps you enjoy the luxuriant pasta.

The showstealer of the lot would definitely be the Bhutanese Ema Datshi, which is served like a classic European fondue! We were greeted with some hot, melted cheese in an elevated fondue pot, which arrived with some soft Himalayan buns, crackers and some veggies. It’s bracing, it’s indulgent, it’s soulful and in short, it’s hard to beat something like this on a chilly evening!

La Macario also has an in-house bakery, so you can also choose from some decadent seasonal desserts. We went for a slice of rich and dark Belgium Strawberry Chocolate Cake, which features cut-up fresh, juicy strawberries within the layers of a rich chocolate cake. You can also explore the fun and engaging DIY Christmas Cookie Tree, which lets guests of all ages create their own festive cookie trees, complete with icing and sprinkles.

Hot tip: If you’re going with friends, we recommend the easily shareable options, which are also quite filling. Go for the Bhutanese Ema Datshi, the Creamy Pesto Pappardelle and the Belgium Strawberry Chocolate Cake, which lets you eat from the same dish!

La Macario Cafe

1st Floor, 10, Wood St, Mullick Bazar, Elgin, Kolkata, West Bengal 700016

Price for two: Rs 1,300

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