From the spectacular Howrah Bridge to the stunning riverside ghats, ancient buildings, and age-old tramways, Kolkata probably has some of the most atmospheric places in urban India. The unique design vibe extends to its food and beverage places as well. The city has many watering holes&ndashfrom the old ones that date back to the 1960s to trendy sports bars and cocktail bars, and lounges. We've rounded up a selection of some cool places where the drinks are amazing, and the Instagram photos are even better.
5 Trendy Watering Holes In Kolkata Every Design Lover Should Visit
After a long day of exploring the many delights of the City of Joy, grab a drink to unwind and relax at these bars, pubs, and lounges. Some have excellent cocktails, others are great if you fancy a dance with your drink, and all have excellently designed interiors
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Little Bit Sober
This 1,800 sq ft space located in an old building on Kolkata's iconic Chowringhee Road is probably the first true-blue cocktail bar in the city of joy. The red door opens to s strikingly long, wall-to-wall, boat-shaped bar counter. The colours inside are largely muted, but the bar was made to stand out with a jazzy electric-blue handpainted surface. The mirrored arch with cove lighting below the shelf surface and handpainted red fins add to the drama. The cocktail bar seating is divided into two levels, with a small stage to host evenings of upbeat jazz. The stage backdrop is made of 360 pigeon boxes, a feature that will allow bartenders to store the large number of signature cocktail recipes they develop over time. The ceiling has been kept in its original form, and dates back to 1890.
The menu has standout cocktails using local ingredients. Go for a kasundi tomato which has clarified kasundi, tomato vodka, wild celery soda, and fermented tomato. Or try a nolen coffee with peanut butter washed vodka, nolen gur, and cold brew. To beat the heat, the mulberry negroni is perfect. It has gin, Aperol, dry vermouth, and mulberries. Sample the taste of Bengal's famous lemon, the gondhoraj lebu in a cocktail. The gondhoraj grapefruit has tequila, grapefruit juice, sweet vermouth, raspberry and gondhoraj cordial. If you like all things sweet, order a sondesh cardamom which has pistachio-infused brandy, sondesh, cream, nutmeg, and cardamom mist.
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Address 60 Chowringhee Road, 2nd floor, Kolkata
Drunken Teddy
This luxurious multi-level lounge spans over 15,000 square feet and boasts an extravagant indoor space with state-of-the-art lighting and sound. They say that the quirky and whimsical design elements are inspired by a Gatsby-like vibe. The endearing drunken teddy sitting atop the bar counter sets the tone for the entire space. The lounge's entrance is a tunnel-shaped transitional space that serves as a dramatic gateway to the urban forest-themed walkway. The marble flooring is laid out in a stunning geometric pattern and the bar's back display has glass blocks installed with indirect lighting. Choose from a range of salads, soups, grills, and Indian, Italian and Asian dishes. Special items on the menu include the acapulco tostada, drunken chicken and the olive all&rsquo asco lana. The cocktail section includes the saffron colada, wedding bell, ginger peach margarita, and a smoked Earl Grey martini.
Address Horizon Building, 57, Jawaharlal Nehru Rd, Elgin, Kolkata
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Badmaash
The Bangalore-based Badmaash opened its Kolkata branch on the busy Camac Street recently. The vibe is a mix of high energy, peppy music, and luxe ambience. Spread over 3,500sq ft, the space has multicoloured marble flooring and hues of gold throughout the entire space. The music is deep house Bollywood.
Address 1, Camac St, Park Street area, Kolkata
Episode One
Structured around the idea of a colonial-era space - the gymkhana - this 7,000 sq ft gastropub uses an anti-colonial theme in its decor. Expect to see pictures of overlords in Supreme T-shirts and walls spelling "azadi" (in Hindi) with toggle switches. The booth seating, terrazzo flooring, integrated customised mesh doorways, and bespoke lights, provide the user with varied spatial experiences. Sip on some experimental tap cocktails sitting in an old-fashioned verandah. The 19-foot oblong bar in the Tap Room specialises in experimental tap cocktails. Wondering what that is The Tap Room space has several bespoke cocktail tanks which pump out craft cocktails, or "taptails." You can choose from customised flavours such as khatta aam-ada, mogo mogo tea, berries and rose, mai tai, and lychee lemongrass carbon lemonade.The menu features Indian cuisine along with American, Thai, Japanese, and Turkish.
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Address Tower, 1st Floor, TRINITY TOWER, Trinity, 83, Topsia Rd, Topsia, Kolkata
Space Bar and Kitchen
This 4,460 sq ft property has bling as the theme reflected in rose gold metallic tones, glossy flooring, onyx tables, luxury Chester-style sofas, and custom-made matrix lights. Situated on the first floor of Trinity Tower in Topsia, this is the perfect place if you are looking for a party-vibe night out with the gang. The club's soul lies in its music with DJ Raunak as the resident DJ, keeping the party going all night long. Choose from a variety of cocktails such as including space out, cranberry gin sour, gold city, olivoda love, Dutch rule, moodswing crush can and monongahela mule. The delectable food options include finger foods like cheese dragon rolls, cream cheese mushroom dimsums, and chicken banjara tikkas. For something more filling try their black charcoal burger or papdi with kosha mangsho. Wrap it up with a gulab jamun cheesecake. The club is set to launch in Mumbai soon.
Address Trinity Tower, 1st floor, 83, JBS Haldane Avenue, Kolkata
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Cover photo credit Shutterstock
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