Finally in Calcutta - The Pizza Factory, Cinnamon

I have long despaired over the non-availability of good restaurants, especially French, nouvelle cuisine, Italian, Greek even Thai. You do have excellent restaurants but they are all in five star hotels. However, sometimes one wishes to eat well but simply and not have to bother with the bells and whistles of a hotel. Finally I have located two newly opened restaurants, one Italian, one european (it calls itself Mediterranean, but also has a separate Indian menu, probably to break even or something).

Cinnamon on Park street (next to Marco Polo) is that mediterranean restaurant. The Mediterranean/ European food is excellent at the price. The vegetables are fresh and full of flavour, the meats are succulent and cooked just right, the fish and sea-food is fresh. So, if you are in Calcutta and do not want to eat greasy Indian food or are tired with generic kebabs or are feeling rebellious with cheesy continental food that is usually Calcutta's fate, step into Cinnamon and do not look at the Indian menu.

The second restaurant is Italian. Sadly they serve only pastas, pizzas, coffee and GELATO!!! It is called The Pizza Factory and is located in Kanak Building, off Russell Street. The pizzas are just so, the pasta is lovely and cooked just right. For a change it is actually al dente and not over-cooked the way it is in most restaurants in Calcutta. I am most impressed with the extra virgin olive oil they serve with bread. It is even better than the one they serve in La cucina at the Hyatt. AND they actually serve Gelato. They make the icecream over there and it was actually gelato. What I would do for a taste of Rome in Calcutta and now I have found the place. They do not play annoying chamber music or techno and play western classical. That to me is a huge plus in their favour. Also, it is never over-run with annoying teenagers so one can actually eat and drink in peace. The pricing is friendly and the waiters friendly and helpful.