An eastern getaway

Place: KOLKATA

The Gateway brand is explained in a section of the lobby! 

Hotel: GATEWAY

Kolkata’s second property from the Taj group, after the splendidly regal Taj Bengal, has been a long anticipated one. Well, Gateway, located along the EM Bypass, does not actually flaunt the Taj brand, though everyone around seems to be aware of it. Even though the group classifies this as a 5-star hotel, do not expect the luxury of a usual hotel of that standard. This brand is more minimal. The design is Spartan, as is the way the brand name appears, off centre. Creditably, there is a corner next to the deli that actually sees to explain the brand!

The lobby shape follows that of the hotel and gives a warm, cozy feel

Meeting room

Access to the hotel is easy, as it on the busy crossing where Rashbehari Avenue joins the EM Bypass. So no problems in entering the hotel, or indeed in getting public transport from right outside the hotel. Also this side of town is an emerging area – so it has local outlets of Flury’s, Balaram Mullick and others in close proximity. Ideal for a business traveler who has work in this part of town and needs to carry back goodies from these iconic Kolkata names! It is a little far from the airport, or indeed the main rail stations, but then so is almost everywhere in the city! Also Gariahat is just about a 15 minute auto / cab ride away. South City Mall is closer. An overlooked feature, the wetlands, where the nature, and especially bird lover can really enjoy is also nearby.

A selection of the active breakfast section of the breakfast buffet

While the exterior design could have been more aesthetic, once inside, you are amidst Taj hospitality. There are fewer staff around sure than say a top end Taj, but adequate. Staff do assist with luggage, and the business centre is right next to check in. There is a meeting room next door to it, good for about 15 people.

Swirl looks set to host the hip set of this end of the city 

The all day diner, Buzz, is to the right as you enter. Quiet, spacious, well laid out, with a generous buffet, it is quite a getaway in this part of the city, and seems to be already getting used by locals. The breakfast buffet is quite a spread, and has a special section called ‘active breakfast’, which caters largely to the modern traveler with its healthy and no fuss options. Swirl, the bar, - Gateway’s f&b outlet names need a little less corporate thought input – is adjacent to it. There is a deli on the other end of the lobby floor, and has some nice options.

The lovely pool overlooking the city

The pool on the top floor is perhaps the most attractive spot. Bright blue tiles light reflect the sunlight beautifully – though I imagine this will be nicer in winter to sit besides than in sultry Kolkata summer, when inside the pool may be better. Relaxing with a mojito on a deck chair is highly recommended in the winter sun. The gym is next door as is a spa. A specialty restaurant is slated to come up, possibly of Chinese cuisine.

The rooms have a large wall feature showing the Vidyasagar Setu

The rooms are standard fare, and identical, except for the suites, which have an additional living room. Easily the most interesting feature are the multi coloured night lights – at least I hope that’s what they are – at the head of the bed controlled by a regulator usually used to control fan speeds. There is a wardrobe, a perch for luggage, a work desk with multiple plug points, a sofa and a small round table in wood. The tea/ coffee maker is well stocked, as is the mini bar. A huge image of the Vidyasagar bridge covers the entire wall behind the bed, very nice, only it makes the room appear a little small – have seen this done at Mercure hotels – definitely a different standard of hotels, so a little unexpected. The front facing rooms overlook the Rashbehari Avenue Connector, pulsating with life, with a number of hospitals across the roundabout. Net unfortunately is chargeable, but easy to connect to.

As most modern hotels do, this one too has a largish conferencing facility, with a separate entrance. Spacious, it looks capable of hosting both social events and corporate functions with equal ease. For a business traveller with work in the eastern part of the city, look no further. 

Escape to heaven on Earth...

Place: MADIKERI

The spectacular pool in the reception building, located a level below the lobby, offers a matching view of the surrounding Coorgi countryside

Hotel: VIVANTA BY TAJ 

 ... and try to make it as long a break as you can. It will still seem short!

Wow.  That’s usually the most often used word first by anyone entering the Vivanta by Taj at Coorg. Or superb. Or stunning. Or sensational. Or simply a silence. You get the drift.

The morning mist hangs low over the surrounding hills,
a view that has to be seen to be believed

It’s not their fault. As any visitor can testify, that view has few parallels, helped by the fact that there are few places as beautiful as Coorg. Think of all the clichés – rolling hills, misty mountains, lush rainforests, verdant valleys, birdsong dawns, quiet getaways, and Coorg ticks every one of them. 

Combined with the best of amenities and service, no surprises then that Taj’s ambitious new Rs 150-crore, 180-acre property looks to set new benchmarks for luxury resorts in the country.

A different view of a different pool

Nestled deep in Coorg’s hills and forests at a height of about 4,000 feet, the Vivanta by Taj Madikeri brings a new level of luxury hospitality to the area. The vast property actually includes hills and fields within its expanse, and has just 56 villas or rooms – which means solitude is a default setting here. Every villa, situated on slopes, has a view, and the exterior architecture follows the local pattern of solid platform base, seen best at the fort in Madikeri.

The slopes mean that unless you want to get tired and / or lost, you have to use, or rather be driven in the golf carts, which zoom around all day, carting guests in every direction, the only downer here as you could have to wait on busy days. Even the GM Krishan Kant may possibly drive you! Passionate about the property, he points out the must dos in the resort.

The pool inside the 3,000 sqaure foot villas. You can't imagine
greater luxury, till you get to the 9,000 square foot villa!

The rooms are spacious, and start from the 850 square feet superior charm room to the exquisite 1,400 square feet premium indulgence room. For a lifetime’s memory try the 3,000 square feet luxury bliss villa, which comes with a plunge pool and balcony. The 9,000 square feet presidential villa is just wicked – do you want to get lost? The touch of Pramod Ranjan, Non-Executive Director, Oriental Hotels, whose dream project this has been, is evident in the smallest of details across the hotel. The furniture is dominated with clean lines, the baths are extravagant, and the lighting perfect, right down to the fish trap inspired lamps. Did I mention the fireplace? Yes, every room has one, for apparently winters are cold. Could this get more perfect!

Another view  of the magical mist, imbued in
 the colours of dawn

Greens, games, grub
Being green is a way of life here – right from the way villas have been built without cutting trees to the way resources such as water and energy are used within the hotel. Earth compound bricks were used, says Ranjan, who also got all furniture except for the ones at al fresco made on site from local hardwood.  “Accessibility to the site during construction was a challenge,” says Ranjan, who started work on the hotel in 2006, with Taj joining in a year later. Closeness to nature is evident in the seasonality of food, or the extensive forest walks on offer with resident nature expert Abhishek Jain, whose knowledge of the surrounding forests will make you stretch the walk for as long as you can. He can tell you which hills offer the best views, or where the tigers are most likely to frolic!

The forests are interspersed with rice fields, part of the vast property, and a venue for leisurely conducted walks

Actually a lot of activities are on offer. The start has to be made by the inhouse museum, which showcases Coorg – and is much better than the government one at Madikeri. Col Muthanna is on hand to show you around personally. Get a great introduction to Coorg from him. There’s a resident potter, sessions for coffee tasting, yoga retreats, mountain biking, nature trails, including walks to Nishanibetta Hills and even zip lining. There are excursions to the source of the Kaveri, which begins nearby or to the largest Tibetan settlement in India at Bylekuppa, or visits to the palaces of erstwhile royals or to spice and coffee plantations. Just outside the resort is a picturesque golf course. And of course there is a gorgeous infinity pool.

While the view from the lobby is spectacular, its
interior detailing is no less impressive

Another aspect of the resort you shall indulge in are its dining options. Given the isolated location, the nearest eatery outside the hotel is quite some distance away, so the hotel has probably chosen to offer some spectacular choices. 

Describing Fern Tree as an all day dining option would be gross disservice to it, given its lavish food options, with a free side dish of views. Many drive up just for that, it seems! 

The vast hotel is sprinkled with a traditional furniture such as this
 imposing Coorgi bed

A level above with the stunning Jiva spa, also in the main block but a level below the pool, is Dew, a wellness restaurant where food is not just healthy but delectable. An experience at Nellaki, with traditional Coorgi cuisine is unforgettable for its distinct aromas and flavours. There’s the almost concealed Hive Bar. A concealed candle lit table by a natural spring that has to be seen to be believed. Easily the most spectacular experience however is dining under a star lit sky at the Poolside Grill, which has its own adjacent bar as deep hills surround you, dotted to the east with the distant shimmering of lights of Madikeri.  

Resort service standards are generally high, and the staff here go all out to make the stay memorable. Already the setting for some expensive weddings, the resort has extensive conferencing facilities too. The resort seems to fit in more with Taj’s top line palace hotels. Step in for the Taj resort experience, and make your own one of a kind memories!

Captivating Coorg

 Sun rays streaming in. Such views make any length of journey worth its while! 

Coorg, or Kodagu, has not really been on the tourism map, especially for north Indians. It’s an average of seven hours drive from the most accessible wide body plane airport, Bengaluru. Now Mangalore is about fours away, but almost agree that is not the best option, especially as road conditions aren’t great. Mysore, just two hours by road, is such a famous domestic tourist destination, but unfortunately not on the aviation map yet in any proper way, though there is talk of the current airport being expanded. That could well make the area far more accessible.  

For forest walkers, coffee is arranged deep inside the forest!

Historically distinct from both Karnataka, which it is today a part of, and adjoining Kerala, Coorgis are said to have ancestral links with the Greeks. In any case their distinctness remains to this day, with many Coorgi families still with members in the Indian army. The Indian hockey team has rarely been without a Coorgi. Yes, they are good at actually playing sports. Think Cariappa, Thimayya, Ponnacha, Muthamma, Uthappa, Nachappa, Bopanna, Somaiya, Halappa...  

Even today in this predominantly agricultural region days are languid, and food and drink free flowing, and life pleasurably slow. Major plantations of coffee and spices abound, and there are a hundreds of homestays, many of whom are popular with the global tourist. Forests are within walking distance as are valley views of dawn and dusk and the green hours in between, but only if you walk up the invitingly gentle hills all around. For anyone seeking an escape from urban hustle, look no further.

It’s a sellou(t)

Place: GURGAON 

The warn interiors are evocative of the
 legendary Moroccan city

Restaurant: CASABLANCA

Moroccan cuisine makes a stylish entry to NCR

North Indian men are notorious for being food ‘loyalists’. Fill them with butter chicken or rajma chawal, and you can work out a much better deal. Deny the same, and suddenly lack of cultural connects become an issue, even if you are from just south of the Vindhyas, not to refer to the wider world beyond. For decades since independence, Delhi’s culinary landscape, even top end restaurants in hotels, had to balance global cuisines with more local tastes. It is very recently that increased travel, and possibly more choices as well as a sense of novelty have widened the acceptability levels, and new cuisines are coming up.

Lamb tagine - yes served in its
ubiquitous platter too

A wonderful beginning for Moroccan cuisine has been made by a restaurant called, what else, but Casablanca. Located at one end of Gurgaon at the new Double Tree by Hilton, the restaurant actually has a Moroccan resident chef, Rashid Choukki, who has planned an extensive menu, albeit with the considerable presence of dishes from all across the Mediterranean. The restaurant is also the first by the global hospitality chain to offer Moroccan cuisine, say the staff! Surely they must mean outside Morocco.

A largish restaurant housed in a separate building of its own, it has about 100 covers, including outside seating. The interiors are welcoming, the décor motifs and hues suitably evocative of the legendary Moroccan town it is named after, complete with lamps - from huge brass ones to lit ones in brightly coloured glass, beautiful ceramic tagines, heavy drapes overlooking a verdant treescape and sofas that invite you sink into their comfortable depths. Add a welcoming drink of Moroccan mint tea, and for a moment one could forget the concrete town outside. There are little cabanas that make for a more private seating, and they are weather proofed, providing heat and coolness as required.

Chicken pastillas - succulent and right spiced!

A beautiful menu invites you to start the proceedings. A novelty is a bowl of delicious almond filled dates, accompanied by small cups of orange blossom flavoured milk. It’s complimentary, and may be a bit of an acquired taste for some. This is followed by stuffed breads accompanied by a hallmark of the cuisine – its varied and delicious dips, including the famous harissa but also the hummus, babaghanoush and zaalouk. 

Prawns pil pil. Again, delectable

All excellent, and you could be forgiven for finishing a meal with these alone. A popular menu choice is the pastilla, a traditional slow cooked meat dish combining sweet and neutral or savoury flavours of onions, herbs and spices, chilled overnight. After adding eggs and toasted almonds, it is covered by layers of phylo pastry and finally topped with powdered sugar and cinnamon.  

While Moroccan cuisine uses a lot of spices, the combination with food is very different from the way it happens in India, and like the rest of the Arabic world, sweet and savoury is a common combination. 

Vegetable cous cous: An excellent veg option

Cold salads, usually differing combinations of onions, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, garlic, greens and seasoning are followed by a tagine, a rich, slow cooked stew, both of meats and vegetables, often combined, that comes in its own pot. On offer are the more usual lamb or chicken tagine, but also more exotic seafood or even quail, rabbit or veal tagines! 

Two veggie options are listed too. The outlet actually offers main dishes after this, but be warned, normal appetites are only going to manage a tagine or a main such as moussaka, an eggplant based dish that is simply too good to be ignored. The adventurous may opt for khlea, dried lamb or beef, samak makli, assorted fried fish, though there are lovely grills as well.

You wouldn’t really have space for desserts if you tucked in earlier, but probably just as well. The traditional Moroccan desserts are fruits, though a variety of sweets, including traditional options such as sellou, but a brisk walk would probably serve you best! Take time out when you go, and let Casablanca weave its considerable magic.

Fine dining, south Indian style

Place: CHENNAI

The interiors of the renovated Southern Spice

Restaurant: 
SOUTHERN SPICE 

It's a landmark almost as legendary as the hotel itself. So when Southern Spice at Chennai's Taj Coromandel had closed for renovation last year, it had led to a bit of a collective mourning for its regulars. 

Arguably one of the best known addresses of cuisine from the south of India, and the Taj group is fortunate in having another one in Karavalli in Bengaluru, Southern Spice has for long been a huge statement for the suitability of these cuisines qualifying for fine dining. Those familiar with its previous version have been a little bemused of a more ostentatious yet understated interiors of its new version. Now one of India’s best-known South Indian fine dining restaurants is back with an entirely new look. 

The vegetarian thali is sure to satisfy even the most demanding

Southern Spice was renovated with interior designing by Ed Poole of Singapore-based Poole Associates. All the four major states are represented both in the design and cuisine, explains general manager N Prakash about the multi crore project that is stunning all comers. Instead of the previous green chairs and the verdant look, the new look is more international. From granite bases with silver grey leafed pillars inspired from medieval temples, wall panels from different parts of the region, wall panels and floor rugs with traditional kolam patterns, design elements from across south India come together in harmony.  Specially composed classical notes waft through the restaurant. 

Kayir katti kola urundai, or
Chettinad fried meaballs 

None of this matters once you reach the table. Laid out are banana leaf shaped gold plated plates. Some servings actually come in gold serviettes. The rest matchup in design brilliance. The cuisine are a nod to sumptuous cuisines of the region, and Executive Chef Alok Anand has delved deep into the region’s culinary traditions to produce a selection  of some of the best of local vibrant flavours. "We did extensive research and travel to come up with our selection," he says. Just about a quarter of the previous dishes have been retained. 

Both the ingredients used and presentation have far more global connections. The kari varuval is made from New Zealand lamb chops! Signature dishes include Kayar Katti Yerachi Kola Urnudai, Fennel flavoured crisp lamb meat dumplings wrapped with banana fibre - a speciality from Thanjavur,  Koonu Ulli Theeyal, Button mushrooms and pearl onions in a roasted coconut curry,  Asparagus Paruppu Usili-Asparagus and steamed lentils tempered with Madras chillies and a definite must try - Chocolate Purnam Mousse-Chocolate mousse filled with coconut, lentil and jaggery mix! 

Denji Rawa Fry, a must try! 

A particular highlight are the thalis - which for many are turning out to be a once in a lifetime experience. There are quite a few thali offerings, but one that requires the gourmand to  come most prepared to appreciate the riches is the Maha Virundhu menu, at Rs 5,000 per head, traditionally the grand festive lunch served for celebratory events.  This one has 30 dishes, from tiny idlis to lettuce lentil salad through delectable rasams that have to be repeated, delectable dosas, amazing podi, soft shell crab dusted with semolina,  kola urundai, till it is impossible to look at food any more. But the Indian Chocolate Mousse, with lentils, coconut and jaggery is something one has to try, insist staff. And the persuasion is deserved, for it is a perfect fusion and melts as you connect with it. Just a suggestion, get the tips, at least till you are a regular. This gastronomic destination will beckon to you, wherever you are. 

It has been a surprise that the hospitality major, which has chosen to replicate some of its other restaurants, such as Masala Art or Thai Pavilion, has not opened more branches of Southern Spice, voted among the top 100 restaurants in the world. Till they do so, come to Chennai to experience just what a Rs 12,000 thali of 30 courses and paired with wines feels like. I did not dare ask! 

hotel: ITC GRAND CHOLA, Chennai

Place: CHENNAI 

For over a millennium, the Chola royal power held sway over much of southern India. The grandeur of  their structures holds visitors spellbound even today. So it is not surprising that as ITC Hotels, one of India’s largest hospitality groups makes a push for greater prominence, they make a statement that reverberates with Chola grandeur and royal lineage in Chennai.  

Whether it will it usher in a new era of hoteliering in India, just as another hotel in another coastal city by a bay did more than a hundred years ago, remains to be seen. However this hotel has the scale and and the ambition to be a game changer.  It is however difficult to comprehend ITC’s newest and biggest hotel, the Grand Chola without going into getting into some numbers. 

The Sangam staircase is as impressive an entrance as any in India

Built at a cost of Rs 1,200 crore, this 600-room hotel, spread over 1.5 million square feet in an eight acre plot, one of the largest to date in India, promises to change Chennai as a destination by significantly adding MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions) capacities to the city. It has 100,000 square feet of banqueting and convention space which includes 30,000 square feet of pillar-less ballroom, named after one of the greatest Chola rulers, Rajendra. It is another matter that this seemingly unending ballroom, in which one cannot see from end to end due to the slight curve of the building, can be divided into eight individual ballrooms and can accommodate 2,500 people.

Rajendra is the largest banquet hall in the city

This hotel is slated to alter the tourism and convention landscape in the region, ITC group chairman Yogesh Deveshwar had said at the launch of hotel complex in Guindy, which was inaugurated by the Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa. MICE accounts for about 10-15 per cent of the city’s total hotel demand. Growing that the segment will be a challenge, admitted Deveshwar. 

Nakul Anand, Executive Director and head of the group’s hospitality division said, “The Grand Chola is ITC’s tribute to Tamil Nadu and an iconic asset for Chennai, as an archetype of the culture and ethos of the region. The grandeur and unique attributes of the hotel will provide a fillip to the hospitality sector in Chennai in addition to transforming Chennai into India’s convention capital.” Chennai, more a gateway to south India than a genuine tourism destination itself in the past, in recent years has seen the growth of industrial hubs in its periphery, with significant presence of sectors such as IT, auto, shipping, leather, woodwork, FMCG, etc. 

That it might. The hotel, the ninth in ITC’s Luxury Collection and part of global chain Starwood, reportedly even left the Chief Minister spellbound. After rumoured delays in allocating time for the inauguration, J Jayalalitha spent about the double the allocated time as she toured the expansive property, even though the state government reportedly denied permission for a planned helipad last year. The hotel, which has opened partially, is expected to finally employ over a thousand personnel, while about four times the number have worked for a number of years to realize this dream in concrete and imagination. With four separate entrances, and three wings, with the first housing Executive Club rooms, while the second wing has ITC One rooms, Towers rooms and all the suites and the third wing is for long stay residences.

The Lotus Lounge, an undemarcated area where one cannot hear outside noises, is a modern
application of Chola technology

Design antecedents

Those coming in from the main or West entrance for a meeting or convention could straightaway take a choice of extensive escalators from the pre lobby area, but would impressive the grand staircase in the main lobby, called Sangam, and reminiscent of magnificent palaces of yore. It used Traventine Romano Classico marble, interspersed with symmetrically arranged pillars finished in elegant white stucco, reminiscent of the temples of South India.

Rich detailing and numerous nods to the region's
history make this hotel a delight to explore

The architects, Singapore-based Smallwood Reynolds Steward & Steward LLC, have used Chola architecture as the inspiration for the façade and motifs in the hotel. Once inside, take note of Thanjavur’s Brihadishvara Temple inspired pillars and wall textures. In contrast to the rich mélange of the exterior façade, the walls in the interior are serene, almost sparse, and in neutral tones, lending an added feeling of serenity across this vast hotel. Visual leitmotifs include carved elephants raising their trunks in veneration, the Wheel of Life or Chakra, the four petalled clover floral motif and the intricate fretwork on panels and columns—each chosen for its relevance to Chola themes. And impressively, they have been hand carved by artisans from Mahabalipuram! Among the materials used are stone, granite, marble and wood. Note the impressive backlit onyx marble at the bell desks, though in other parts of the hotel the marble has  been sourced from distant parts of the world, including Italy, Spain, Morocco, Turkey India, China and Pakistan. 

Understated may the language of the hotel interiors, but look out for the individual works of art. A spectacular bronze and copper horse in the lobby is a reminder of Chola valour.  Large urns in deep brown and black grace the entrance to the lobby. These water urns were traditionally used to store water during summer months, and today are meant to symbolise the concept of responsible luxury. Pillar designs are sourced from Gangaikondacholapuram Temple. Door handles are exquisite metal peacocks in pairs. Even the exhaust in The Madras Pavilion is in the shape of a lotus! Water design elements are comparatively scarce, though there are three pools over the western entrance atop the banquets. Innovative features include a 'lotus lounge' an undemarcated area within which you can hear echoes but not a foot outside of it, a modem application of Chola technology.

Food destination

Cafe Mercara's warm interiors

When finished, the hotel will have 10 food and beverage outlets, offering a variety of cuisines, which includes the outlets the group is hoping will later expand to other hotel properties, including a fine dining Italian restaurant Ottimo, whose cooking range alone costs a crore, along with Madras Pavilion, a three meal buffet outlet and Café Mercara Express, a 24-hour signature coffee house. 

A much anticipated restaurant is Royal Vega, which will offer signature vegetarian dishes from across the country. Regular ITC hallmarks such as Peshawri and Pan Asian will also feature. Also on offer is the ambitious single malt and cigar lounge, Cheroot and Tranquebar, a bar for understated luxury, not forgetting 'I' Place - The Fun Pub! The gourmet shop, Nutmeg, with its extensive collection, sold out on the very first day itself.

The hotel will have 23,000 square feet of ITC’s signature Kaya Kalp spa and 21,000 square feet of luxury retail space. It became the world’s largest LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) platinum rated hotel.

The digital valet has multiple uses

The hotel abounds in many firsts. It uses cutting edge technology in many aspects, including one-of-its-kind iPad controlled technology that will have all the controls in the room, from lights to AC and even looking at who is at the door without getting up. Of the 600 accommodations, 78 will be serviced apartments, which are yet to open. Just in case it is all too large to comprehend at one go, there is an interactive concierge display system in the lobby that can map out the direction to follow, and transfer the information to your phone!

ITC, which had started its hospitality journey in 1975 from the same city, already has 8,000 rooms in the country, and plans to add another 5,000 odd in the next five years with an investment of about Rs. 25,000 crore in the next five years. The Grand Chola is probably the glittering crown of this extensive empire.

Open to the directions

A view of Madras Pavilion

Vallavan is the north entrance, a drop off point for the Grand Raja Raja Chola Suite

or the Grand Presidential Suite guests and for ITC One. Guests get personalised check-ins here.

Sembiyan, the drop off facing the east, is the dedicated entrance for the high end luxury retail area – the Grand Luxe Street.

Killi, the drop off facing the south, functions as the entrance to the Chola Residences – the high end serviced apartments at ITC Grand Chola.

The grandest entrance, to the west, also serves as the main gate. This entrance is called the Chola drop off and leads to the Grand Stairway in the palatial lobby – Sangam.

The total quantity of marble used in the hotel is 92,000 square metres

The total quantity of external granite cladding is 12,000 square metres

The total external painted area is 15,000 square metres

An inhouse theatre, Kalai Theatre will be on 2,625 square feet with a seating capacity of 45 persons 

Period piece

Glenary's reputation continues to attract visitors

Place: DARJEELING


Glenary's in Darjeeling is definitely among the places where time has stood still. Here the days of the Raj continue to hold sway as the entire ambience of this restaurant is geared towards maintaining it.

The main eatery still has items like meat pie on the menu. Try the cakes and pastries on offer. The best - look out of the window to get a great view of the Himalayas.

There is even a bar, The Buzz, on the floor below, though today it plays more local music than anything else. Along with the rest of this once glittering city, this restaurant has been in decline since the separatist Gorkhaland movement has affected the region.

May its halycon days return soon, for it is too precious too be permanently lost.