Weekend a hit, Kol eateries focus on year’s last 2 days
Times of India | 30 December 2025
Kolkata: The revelry was merrier on the last weekend of the year across Kolkata's restaurants and bars, with visitors splurging on specially curated festive delicacies and expensive liquor. A large number of restaurants saw a 10%-20% jump in average spending over last year. Though higher footfall extended waiting time, people spent more time at the tables and ran up fatter bills, said restaurant owners.
While Indian alcohol and moderately priced food were preferred till last Dec, this time, many moved to more expensive dishes, like lobster thermidor, baked bekty, turkey and duck roast. Blended scotch and single malts in whisky, fancy cocktails, and imported wine and vodka outnumbered IMFLs by a distance, restaurant owners said.
Among Indian food, though perennial favourites like biryani, kebabs, rezzala and varieties of mutton, including nalli gosht, continued to be at the top, people ordered more.
"We noticed a significant rise in average spend, by around 20% compared to last year. Rather than Indian liquor, people are ordering single malts, scotch and imported vodka. Even those in large groups, who earlier stuck to Indian liquor, seem to have graduated to scotch and cocktails in a big way," said Mocambo and Peter Cat owner Nitin Kothari.
Average spend on food increased by almost 10%, said Anjan Chatterjee, founder and chairman of Specialty Restaurants, which owns Mainland China, Oh!Calcutta, Cafe Mezzuna and Siciliana. "Premium liquor segments, like reposado, premium quality gin and single malts are frequently ordered," said Chatterjee. At Cafe Mezzuna, newly introduced dishes like Cicchetti, Signature De La Casa and whole roasted bekty were frequently ordered.
Revellers were inclined towards upgrading to more expensive drinks like scotch and liqueur, said Sudesh Poddar, owner of Songhai and MS Bar and Lounge. "Our purchase of overseas spirit rose by 30% in a year. This reflects a trend of graduating to higher-end alcohol, including scotch, single malts and tequila. While the festive season encourages indulgence in food and drinks, there was a general move up the ladder. We have a 2:1 offer on two premium scotch brands till Dec 31. Half of our patrons ordered imported spirits this season, which was unprecedented," Poddar added. MS Bar booked seats in advance at Rs 800-Rs 2,400. A VIP table for four-six can be booked for Rs 9,000, and a private dining room for Rs 20,000.
Siddharth Kothari of Peter Hu said, "Though we are a food-driven chain, people do order a couple of drinks while waiting for food. This time, there is a move towards more premium spirits, like single malts and cocktails."
Average spend at Chapter 2 increased significantly, said owner and co-founder Shiladitya Chaudhury. "People are more exposed to finer tastes, both in terms of liquor and food. They are ready to experiment and spend more on eating out, especially during festivities. So, there is now a marked preference for premium alcohol and expensive dishes, like turkey roast and lobster thermidor," he said.