What’s Brewing at the Roastery Coffee House?

One sip and I was hooked onto it. Never before had I tasted a coffee concoction so sensual. It was my introduction to the newest adda zone in town...the Roastery Coffee House in Hindustan Park. It was the Honey Blended Cold Brew which lured me to sample more! Housed on the ground floor of the Calcutta South India Club, 70B Hindustan Park,  Roastery Coffee House is a delightful outlet to sip and relish the various types of hot freshly brewed coffee and the cold concoctions.

Spread across 4,000 square feet area, the coffee house has a seating capacity for sixty people. Very soon another forty will be added. It opened on the 21st of June and within this short span it has seen a steady flow of connoisseurs. Stylishly done interiors has retained the mosaic floors and the colonial mood. Even the furniture pieces have been meticulous handpicked to add to the character of this special coffee house. Nishant Sinha, the man behind this unique project, is keen to add more ‘ Bengal’ décor elements . Talking about the concept behind the interior design and layout Nishant says, ”Just the way our coffee is handmade and artisan, we used every element in interiors which is handmade and artisan. After all, everything has to sync well and result in affording a great experience.” In fact, it is Nishant who has to be praised for the interiors…his meticulous sense for aesthetics has given the coffee house an individualistic flavour.

As I entered, my eyes fell on the roastery. Imported from the Netherlands it blends beautifully with the interior layout. Even their logo, designed by Sneha Prasad from Bangalore combines smartly with the uncluttered feel of this place. I was equally impressed with their printed menu card (Pradeep Pallabutla from Hyderabad has designed it)…it is a well-researched forty-four pager finely detailing the various blends of coffee, the beans used, the varieties of coffee alongside the delectable spread of ‘eats’ they have on offer.

The first outlet of Roastery Coffee House had opened two years ago in Hyderabad. Passionate about coffee and excited about sharing knowledge of specialty coffee production from farm to cup, Nishant launched brand RCH to spread awareness about coffee and give his guests an experience of enjoying authentic specialty brews not available anywhere else.

Nishant, a graduate of Institute of Hotel Management, Pusa, New Delhi, says, “I worked with many international coffee brands to understand how an establishment operates. Then I spent almost a year in southern India living in coffee plantations to learn about production— from planting to picking, roasting to brewing. I have also taken a course about coffee at the Coffee Board of India to enhance my knowledge. I am a coffee drinker myself and I love playing around with coffee and improvise. It was after extensive research that I decided to open RCH in Hyderabad. Since then there has been no looking back.” Roastery Coffee House in Hyderabad has already received an award.

Roastery Coffee House in Kolkata not only has a handcrafted special menu, where every coffee is paired with the right dish complementing the flavours, but  also offers to be the source of correct information regarding coffee roasting, grinding and brewing. “We want to develop a community that not only loves to drink coffee but is knowledgeable about its character and the various types of brewing methods,” explains Nishant. All the coffee beans are handpicked directly from the farmers and hand roasted to perfection. The famous coffee farms listed on the menu are Thogarihunckle Coffee Estates and Mandalkhan Coffee Estate.  

Nishant believes in choosing a particular kind of location that exemplifies its ethos. “After Hyderabad, we decided to open in Kolkata for two reasons. Firstly, we fell in love with the location…a heritage building that is situated in a by lane and has a lot of greenery around it – this is how all Roastery Coffee House outlets will always look like. As we want to give our patrons the feeling of sitting in a cool and shaded farm while sipping their specialty coffee. Secondly, Kolkata is a foodie’s paradise and an intellectual hub. We would love to foster a coffee community here,” adds Nishant.

Roastery also sells coffee beans and ground coffee. Open all days of the week, it operates between 8 am and 10.30pm. A meal for two would cost Rs. 1000/-.

For the first timers pick what the is 'most in demand' brew—cold brew, cascara , pourover and cold coffee and as accompaniment pick from the Chef’s recommendation…pasta in Alfredo sauce or if you are a non-vegetarian order chicken in paprika sauce.

When asked what is his future plans? Nishant states, “Keep serving the authentic/artisanal/ specialty coffee.”

It was a truly satisfying experience! Loved it and others will too.