Artsy Cafe, Minto Park, Kolkata

As I sit here with some coffee cooling by my side, my work takes second place for a few minutes, because Artsy Cafe in Minto Park may tend to make you feel slightly distracted with walls dedicated to art, together with kitschy details that make things feel more like you’re at someone’s really well-decorated living room. You have the option to grab a sofa, or sit in one of the high chairs to work, and as I am, so far, alone with three cups of coffee, a small sofa seems to be a good choice. The cold brew (to the right) is flavoured with a touch of lemon, to bring out the fruity and citrus notes to the otherwise smooth coffee, while the glass to my left holds a shot of strong espresso. I down it and chase with some smooth latte – a small glass of creamy coffee (they use Blue Tokai beans) that hits the right spots, waking me up after a rather boring afternoon meeting.

The food selection is eclectic – you get an assortment of interesting inclusions into your menu – from the very Asian Spring rolls – filled generously with crunchy vegetables and served cold to combat the summer heat that engulfs Kolkata continually – to the Mediterranean Mezze platter served with a delectable red pepper hummus, or the fresh batches of fish fries with good quality bhetki fillets coated in a light batter – not your usual crumb laden stuff.

I wait for S to arrive, who plops down beside me in due time – we sort of discovered this place as a meeting ground between my current workplace and her home – and she fell in love with the quinoa salad. She doesn’t want it today – her eyes light up at the sound of the newly added smashed Avocado on toast, with thin cucumber slices and crumbled feta on top, and I bypass that in favour of the quinoa salad, with a smattering of crunchy chickpeas on top to keep the otherwise simple salad interesting.

The Pad Thai that they make here is also quite nice – despite being adapted to suit Vegetarian and local taste buds, but the smattering of crunchy peanuts and the slice of lime on the side is reminiscent of long walks around streets of Bangkok and vendors who would be instructed to hold the shrimps in my case.

If you asked me a few weeks ago whether coffee and tonic water seems to be a good idea, my answer would have been a decided “Nyet”, but Artsy somehow managed to make this drink extremely refreshing. Imagine a long glass filled with tonic water and then coffee poured into it. The mild bitterness of the tonic complements the coffee, making me order it repeatedly on hot, muggy days. 

Located quite close to the Minto Park crossing, yet not on the main road, Artsy is rapidly becoming a favourite of mine to take people there for a chat and some good coffee. I met KK there and we both were happy with the fish fry and mushroom pate on thin crispy bits of toast (that’s another dish that’s been haunting me and begging to be remade at home), and after quite a few visits, I think I have found a nice corner of my own. That said, the service can do better, and they often run out of cold brew, but that’s another day’s story.

Disclaimer : Poorna Banerjee was invited to taste some of the new menu additions at the cafe, but all the other visits were made by her, and paid for independently. That just shows that she’s hooked to this place, but well, this is a disclaimer so we shall be serious.