Kolkata's iconic Park Street, the city's perennial party hub, witnessed an extraordinary influx of thousands on Christmas Eve. The vibrant stretch pulsated with energy as a massive crowd, drawn by specially curated music, traditional festive dishes, and attractive food and drink offers, swarmed its pavements from late afternoon well into the early hours of Christmas Day.
A Sea of Revellers and Culinary Delights
By evening, the scene resembled a sea of heads, with restaurants and bars lining the road remaining choc-a-bloc with visitors until midnight. Establishments reported that the energetic crowd was set to persist until at least 2 am. The celebration was a gastronomic affair, with traditional Christmas dishes taking centre stage.
At the legendary Trincas, the management turned the clock back with nostalgia-evoking jazz music on Wednesday afternoon. The musical journey progressed through retro Hindi tunes in the early evening, shifted to western music from 9 to 11 pm, and reverted to Hindi hits until closure at 1 am. Anand Puri of Trincas noted that the turnout was exceptionally high this year. "We offered different kinds of music throughout the day to attract people with varying tastes at different hours. Footfall was higher than previous years," he said. Dishes like Drums of heaven and makhmali cheese kebabs were in high demand.
Restaurants Packed with Families and Foodies
The festive spirit was a family affair at many venues. Kwality received a significant family crowd, with Tanvi Ghai highlighting the popularity of chhana bhatura, fish masala kebab, stuffed tangdi, and fried prawns.
While most restaurants served food until 2 am, liquor service concluded at 1 am. Popular outlets like Mocambo, Peter Cat, and Peter Hu adhered to this schedule. Siddharth Kothari of the restaurant chain reported that Chelo kebab, its variants, sizzlers, and Indian curries were highly sought after across their outlets, while sushi performed exceptionally well at Peter Hu.
Despite adding 150 extra seats at Peter Cat, all three restaurants in the group remained fully occupied, with a substantial waiting crowd throughout Wednesday. These restaurants will extend their hours on December 20, 24, 26, and 27, but not on New Year's Eve, as Kothari expects a thinner crowd on December 31 night with January 1 being a working day.
Extended Hours and Perennial Favourites
Further down the road, Oasis experienced a full house from 6 pm onwards, staying open until 2 am. Owner Pratap Daryanani stated that the crowd comprised office-goers, revellers, and families. Favourite dishes included turkey roast in apple sauce, lamb chops, duck roast, chicken ala kiev, and garlic chicken. Oasis will have late-night operations on December 25, 27, and 31.
The perennial favourites for Chinese food lovers, Bar-B-Q and Flavours of China, also saw a full house almost throughout the entire day, completing the picture of a universally bustling and joyous Park Street celebrating the festive season in true Kolkata style.
