India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (387 page)

033/2289-1307
), where owner Sharad Narula shows his obvious passion for antique furniture. Proud of a collection that includes everything from silver spoons dating from the first World War to 60-year-old glass lamps, Minnoli encapsulates the very spirit of Kolkata.

Inevitably, Kolkata is also home to one of India’s best bookstores,
Oxford Bookstore
(17 Park St., Kolkata;
033/2229-7662
or 033/2217-5266;
www.oxfordbookstore.com
), which carries a good range of local and imported periodicals, books on India and Kolkata, and fiction. Another shop worth investigating is
Family Book Shop
(1A Park St.;
033/2229-3486
or 033/3290-6003); it’s tiny but has an interesting upstairs section. You can also try
Crossword
on Elgin Road or
Starmark
on Lord Sinha Road.

KOLKATA AFTER DARK

Drinking & Partying

Kolkata is officially dry on Thursday, but this doesn’t affect the upscale hotels. Local laws supposedly prohibit the sale of alcohol after 10:30pm, so if you’re up for an all-nighter, be sure to ask the exact time for last rounds at any bar you visit. In the budget-oriented Sudder Street precinct, the open-air bar at the
Fairlawn Hotel
(13/A Sudder St.;
033/2252-1510
) is an atmospheric place for sundowners and early-evening drinks.
The Park
(
033/2249-9000;
www.theparkhotels.com
) is
the
place to hang out after hours—
Someplace Else
rocks all night long with live bands belting out alternative rock, salsa, blues and jazz every night of the week. Together with vibrantly hued
Tantra
(strictly for couples and room guests; Rs 500 on weekends per couple), which has the largest dance floor in the city, it attracts the city’s hippest crowd. The ’60s-styled and -themed cocktail bar
Roxie’s
(entry is free if staying at The Park hotel or on recommendation by an existing guest) is worth trying to get an invite to, if not for the decor (rough and classy with exposed red bricks), then definitely for the music that darts between the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s, enjoyed best with what the bar prides itself on—“mood cocktails.” If this wasn’t already enough, The Park also has
Aqua,
a poolside alfresco lounge. Wooden loungers and deck beds, suspended timber deck, hot tub, and cool pool—Aqua has it all. Known earlier as Cinnamon, the
Marrakesh Lounge
(24 Park St.;
033/2227-4974
) and
Virgose,
at the Hotel Hindustan International (235/1ACJ Bose Rd.;
033/2283-0505;
www.hhihotels.com
), are also popular, especially with those who want to stray far from the bustling crowds that throng in and around The Park.

Live Performance

Theater, music, dance, and poetry recitals all thrive here. Check out the listings in the “Bulletin Board” section of
The Times of India.
Upscale hotels also carry the useful monthly booklets
City Info
and
Cal Calling.
Rabindra Sadan
concert hall (A.J.C. Bose Rd. and Cathedral Rd.;
033/2223-9936
or -9917) hosts regular theater and musical events, as well as dance-drama performances and local-flavored Bengali poetry evenings. Cultural events also take place at the
Academy of Fine Arts
(2 Cathedral Rd.;
033/2223-4302
). The
British Council
(5 Shakespeare Sarani;
033/2242-5478;
www.britishcouncil.org
) often offers plays and performances in English. Bengali and English dramas are performed at
Kala Mandir
(48 Shakespeare Sarani;
033/2287-9086
). For musical programs, contact
Sisir Mancha
(1/1 A.J.C. Bose Rd.;
033/2223-5317
). Indo-German productions are occasionally held at
Max Mueller Bhavan
(8 Pramathesh Barua Sarani;
033/2486-6398;
www.goethe.de).