Chapter 2: A New Beginning Of Retro Food & Live Music

Chapter 2 is the newest culinary destination of Kolkata. Situated at Mani Square, Chapter 2 promises to bring back the memories of Anglo Indian Food & Live Music culture, for which Park Street was globally famous. With the closure of the renowned restaurants like Skyroom and Blue Fox, something went amiss from the platter of the food connoisseurs. Chapter 2 with its vast choicest menu recreates the lost glory that Kolkata was proud of.

“No account of the history of Calcutta would be complete without the mention of the nightlife and the foodscape of Chowringhee and Park Street from the 1940s till 1970s. Park Street is the symbol of the swinging 1960s and 1970s when Calcutta used to party through the night. Food and Music has been an integral part of our Life. Park Street and Retro music moved hand in hand with us since our childhood days. Our initial years, so to say. We remember going to Park Street with our parents and amongst our eternal favourite was Sky Room food and of course the music at Trincas. Those were the days. Simple, yet opulent, in every aspect. Sadly, Sky Room is no more and the music of Park Street is long over. “Chapter 2” is our effort to bring back the memories of food and music, which symbolized Park Street and Chowringhee between 1950s – 1970s”, said Mr Shiladitya Chaudhury, Partner, Chapter 2.

“Me and my brother started our journey as musicians and still make it a point to compose and perform whenever we can despite being busy in our respective professional world. But our passion and love for food brought us to the F&B segment. And thus, we could present you with Chowman and Oudh 1590. Deep within, there was still a craving for the Sky Room cuisine which we missed along with the Live retro music ambience. Thus came the idea of exploring a new arena. And Chapter 2 was conceived. It is our humble tribute to the cuisines and Chefs of Sky Room and those great musicians of Calcutta of yore. We are sure the people of our generation miss them too. It’s a monumental task to recreate this all over again, nevertheless challenging and inspiring. Chapter 2 promises to be an exciting journey for us with you as company”, said Mr Debaditya Chaudhury, Partner, Chapter 2.

Apart from the food, the major attraction of Chapter 2 will be to reintroduce the retro live music scene to be performed by some of the oldest bands of Kolkata each evening.

Every minute detail has been looked into while creating the retro ambience of Chapter 2. The Chaudhury brothers have roped in National Award winning art director, Mr Nitish Roy to create a feel of the period. From custom made 3 Dimensional photo frames showcasing portraits of the Hollywood stars of the yesteryears, to the real life displays of Marilyn Monroe & Elvis Presley on the walls to a Cadillac car adorning the well stocked bar, to the table-top designs displaying collages of newspaper clips of the bygone era, Chapter 2 is exuberant in every aspect, oozing the old world charm. The costumes of Team Chapter 2 have been specially designed by ace fashion designer, Ms Agnimitra Paul.

Chapter 2 is 70 cover + restaurant with a dedicated Private Dining Area for hosting 20 pax.

Magnolia’s at Park Street was set up during World War 2 by an American lady which was Park Street’s first soda fountain and a favourite hangout for the American and British soldiers. Park Street, where Louis Banks with fiery Pam Crain crooned at Mocambo and later at Blue Fox and feisty Usha Uthup had everybody stomping on the dance floor at Trinca’s. With the music and entertainment, Calcutta evolved as a strong dining destination in the country; the British leaving behind a strong legacy of European cuisine with a mix of East Indian food culture which soon became a cuisine synonymous to “Continental”. Firpo’s at Chowringhee and later Skyroom at Park Street were so popular that people from as far afield as Manchester and New York made bookings in advance to make sure that they didn’t miss out on the experience. Sky Room was much more than a place that served great food. It represented the cultural crossroads, which made Calcutta unique. It is ironic that having survived the most turbulent years through the sixties and seventies these two landmark restaurants had to close down. With Chapter 2, now Kolkata has a reason to smile and raise a toast.

See you soon to celebrate with Food Music Life. Cheers.

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