Slowly but steadily, New Town is becoming a New Kolkata. It’s no exaggeration, but we get to breath fresh air there, we can see greenery and that too, with all the urban facilities. Till now, Kolkata landmark meant a Howrah Bridge or Victoria Memorial to us. Not to demean them, but maybe New Kolkata needed a new landmark. And Kolkata Gate or Biswa Bangla Gate, whichever name we call it by, is becoming the symbol of a New Kolkata. And this post is about my dining experience there.
How to reach and booking details.
If someone travels via New Town, missing Kolkata Gate is almost impossible. Just at the Narkelbagan crossing, on the main arterial road, stands this majestic structure. The idea was initiated from the visitor’s gallery of The Eiffel Tower and Hanging Restaurant in Malaysia, but the design is simply awe-inspiring.
The rumor goes that it’s a revolving restaurant, but trust me, it’s not. The restaurant can be reached via 2 elevators from Ground Floor. There are two slots. From 12-5 PM, it has a visitor’s slot, where one can buy a ticket for 100/-, go up and enjoy. Some basic snacks along with tea/ coffee are served, at an extra price. The ticket is valid for the tour of Biswa Bangla Gate for one hour only.
Post, 7 pm, the place changes to a fine dining restaurant. There are two slots- 7 PM and 9 PM. Booking needs to be done by calling the number 8334065345.
Biswa Bangla Gate inside view
As I said before, the view from inside is simply breathtaking. The whole space is a circle and kids will love running the full circle, at least mine did so. Please note, there is no toilet up there at Kolkata Gate and one needs to come down for it. While going up, the outside view itself is simply fantastic.
Wall paintings are done aesthetically and even following the trend, there is one selfie wall.
Finally the food
Okay, and the food finally. They serve a multi-cuisine spread at The Biswa Bangla Gate restaurant. It ranges from Soup to Pasta to Kebabs to Chinese items. The tables at the glass side are couple tables and 4 seater ones are put up towards the wall. Reservation, as I said, is mandatory and can be done conveniently over the phone.
Starter
At the Kolkata Gate restaurant, we have ordered for the Soup Of The Day (cream of chicken soup on that day) , Achari fish Tikka and Chicken Reshmi Tikka for the starter. The food is prepared downstairs and is brought up by a food service lift, hence please do not expect a piping hot food. The chicken soup was good with old school diced chicken pieces. The Fish Tikka was great. After a long time, I found Fresh Kolkata Vetki being used for a Fish Tikka. The spicing was good with sufficient zing of achaar spice on those 5 pretty big pcs. Chicken Reshmi Tikka was the usual stuff with 6 big pieces. Somehow I feel this dish almost the same everywhere, but my son loves it. Hence …
And the main course at last …
We didn’t have Risotto for a long time and were longing for one. So, Grilled chicken and Mushroom Risotto was the main course and Chicken wings Aglio Olio was the side. The Risotto was damn good. We could find Shitake Mushroom in it along with one grilled chicken breast. though I secretly wished that they had sliced the chicken, it tasted good. A smell of Truffle oil was there and quantity-wise it was huge.
Ice Cream as Dessert
As this Kolkata Gate Restaurant, we ordered ice cream after a really really long time. Thought Cream Caramel, Brownie and Monte Carlo were there, but Daab Icecream was our choice. And it was a wise decision. It was fantastic. I’m not sure, from where they’ve sourced it, but it was damn good.
Finally ….
Overall, we really liked the Biswa Bangla Gate Restaurant. Let me not go overboard, the food is pretty good with reasonably done pricing and impressive portion size. The timing is a bit challenging, but for that view from Kolkata Gate, I didn’t really mind that.
Will I go again?? Definitely yes.
Pointers to keep in mind while visiting Kolkata Gate or Biswa Bangla Gate
- The restaurant is closed on Mondays, so plan your visit accordingly
- There is not toilet up there, so you need to relieve yourself at the toilet on the ground, beside the Ticket Counter
- There is ample parking space and it’s free, so don’t worry
- Please book your slot to avoid disappointment
Bon Apetit !!!
I can be reached at indrajit.lahiri@ymail.com
