Many of us have grown up listening to stories about Sky Room, the Continental restaurant that once stood at the intersection of Free School Street and Park Street. Despite closing its doors in 1993 after an impressive 36-year run, Sky Room's legacy lingers, especially amongst its patrons who speak of its loss with nostalgia.
On September 13, Good Vegetarian Food of Calcutta, a Facebook community of about 1.5 lakh food lovers, brought back the iconic flavours of Sky Room with a special food pop-up at Chapter 2 in Southern Avenue.
The crucial connection? The chef of retro-themed diner Chapter 2 is a third-generation chef from Sky Room.
“My grandfather was a chef at Sky Room, and I learned all my cooking skills and recipes from him. Though I never went to a management college, he taught me everything I needed to know. Recreating a vegetarian menu was initially challenging but after discussing and holding a tasting session, everything came together perfectly,” said Sushanto Halder, Chapter 2 chef.
Down memory lane with Sky Room
My Kolkata spoke to friend, food critic and musician Nondon Bagchi, who described Sky Room as the “jewel in the crown of Park Street”. With a palpable sense of awe, he recalls the restaurant’s iconic menu, declaring, “You’d die for it.” He has previously lamented, “With the exit of Sky Room, the city also lost, arguably, the best prawn cocktail in the world.”
The best prawn cocktail in the world? That’s right. These prawn cocktails were so popular that they were reportedly flown to Delhi almost every week for Indira Gandhi. The iconic dish was also a cherished favourite of National Award-winning filmmaker and writer Jaideep Varma. “I was a child in the 1970s when I used to visit my grandparents in Kolkata, and whenever the extended family gathered, Sky Room was the preferred destination. It was something like the ultimate restaurant for us, and Prawn Cocktail was the most coveted item, at least in my extended family,” Varma fondly recalls.
The special vegetarian menu for the Sky Room pop-up; (right) the Prawn Cocktail and Caramel Custard on the regular menu of retro-dining destination Chapter 2 are an ode to the Park Street flavours of yesteryear Chapter 2
He adds, “An abiding memory I have, for no particular reason, is my grandmother sitting next to my America-based aunt and uncle who insisted on paying the bill for either people. She sneaked a peek at the bill and satisfied my mother’s morbid curiosity about the total bill amount by catching her eye and muttering secretively, ‘Aamaar haather panch aangul’ (The five fingers of my hand). A rather interesting bookmark to the innocence of that time and also how much it cost to eat out in an iconic place then. The equivalent of Rs 500 in 1978 is about Rs 14,600 now.”
While in its prime — when Park Street pulsed with the glamour of nightlife where live music, cabaret, and even striptease were the norm at every other establishment — Sky Room stood steadfast, distinguished solely by its food. Its closure marked the end of an era. While economic difficulties and shifting tastes may have contributed to its demise, the restaurant left an indelible imprint on the memories of those who frequented it.
Good Vegetarian Food of Calcutta (GVF) community at Chapter 2 in Southern Avenue on September 13 Good Vegetarian Food of Calcutta
For an evening, Sky Room’s iconic dishes were back to offer a taste of the past
Good Vegetarian Food of Calcutta (GVF) tried bringing back the iconic flavours of Sky Room with a pop-up ‘Sky Room Recreated’.
The menu featured 14 vegetarian dishes, including desserts. While some might raise an eyebrow at the notion of vegetarian Continental cuisine, given that Sky Room was renowned for its signature preparations of lobsters, prawns and steaks, the carefully curated menu proved to be a pleasant surprise. Dishes such as Garden Spice with English Parathas, Veg Tetrazzini, Au Gratin, and Baked Alaska were dished up, with the Tomato Florentine standing out as a particular favourite among the attendees. The event drew 36 GVF members, who enjoyed the live music at Chapter 2 amidst plenty of laughter and lively conversation.
Cream of Tomato Soup, and (right) Tomato Florentine at the ‘Sky Room Recreated’ pop-up stood out as a favourite among the GVF attendees Manisha Maity, Subhrata Ghosh
Good Food Vegetarian was founded in 2009 by Devashish Kuthari, a self-proclaimed “street foodie”, and has since organised numerous successful pop-ups, including Parsi cuisine at the Parsi Dharamshala, French fare at Alliance Française du Bengale, as well as Russian, Nepali, and regional specialities like Kathiawadi, Sheherwali, and Banarasi, among others. Additionally, the group is known for organising food walks, in search of the best mishti doi, phuchka, and telebhaja the city has to offer.
Subrata Ghosh, an old-time member, shares, “GVF is a group that stands for more than just Good Vegetarian Food; it symbolises Good people, Varied ideas, and Fantastic food experiences. The group not only focuses on discussing commonly available foods but also offers members occasional opportunities to try exotic dishes that are typically hard to find.”
He adds, “Sky Room Recreated was an innovative tribute to the iconic Calcutta restaurant that closed 30 years ago. While the older generation still reminisces about its remarkable ambience and unforgettable menu, the younger generation never had the chance to experience it. This event magically revived the essence of Sky Room, offering a nostalgic journey into a cherished past and creating a memorable evening for all.”
For Shusmita Banerjee, who manages the administrative aspects of GVF, the group is like her “extended family”.
Sky Room Recreated attempted to transport the diners back to a cherished era through familiar flavours and warm camaraderie. This nostalgic journey not only honoured Sky Room’s legacy but also celebrated the enduring spirit of Kolkata’s culinary heritage.
