Next time anyone says, “There is nothing to do in Calcutta/Kolkata”, they should head straight to Rannaghor by Sienna. That is, after booking a seat at the intimate chef’s table via District. Bengali food is so much more than just alu posto and kasha manghso. I have said this over and over again. The world needs to eat real Bengali food, right here in the land. Kolkatans are big-time foodies, and the food scene in the city is thriving and how!
In this last decade, yes, many Kolkata restaurants have found their places on the top restaurant lists, but that’s not even scratching the surface, honestly. A lover of XS tables, I am constantly on the hunt for curated experiences. And, to my delight, one of my favourite eateries from my young adulthood days, Sienna, has a chef’s table experience that is a culinary exploration beyond compare.
Started mid-2025, the 13-course degustation menu here has stories of Bengal, both West Bengal and Bangladesh, being told through food. A compact yet beautifully designed space, Rannaghor — meaning kitchen in Bengali — is accessed through a narrow staircase through the flagship store of Sienna at Hindustan Park.
The building itself is a century old. The culinary stories told inside, more than that. Upstairs, the colourplay is earthy: mud-colours, oaky, and homely. There are fish motifs everywhere – on the walls, cutlery rests and coasters. The crockery is designed by the Sienna team and made in Shantiniketan. A millennial playlist keeps things groovy, and the chef’s peppering of anecdotes with each course caps the tasting.
Helmed by Chef Avinandan Kundu and Koyel Roy Nandy, the menu, which keeps changing, spotlights micro-cuisines and hyper-local ingredients, all wrapped in oral history from the land. Concepts of epar and opar, this side of Bengal and that side of Bengal (Bangladesh), attempt to put Bengal as a whole on the forefront, without borders. The land is rich in history, cooking styles, and ingredients that the world should know more about. And, the team here is doing their bit in preserving that through their cooking and weaving stories around them.
Textures, layering techniques and plating are modern. The taste takes a nostalgic turn for people who have grown up in Bengal or at least have had some exposure to the cooking styles here. Those exploring for the first time get to see a completely different, nascent side of Bengali food. One that will gast their flabbers. Combinations like ghee bhaat, maach dal, mangsho rezala, offals, and more front-line comfort with a curatorial take on what constitutes food cooked in homes of autochthonous people.
What you see on farmlands in remote villages, or spot at the local markets, becomes the playground for Avinandan and Koyel to labouriously adapt to the menu’s curation, season by season. The cocktail program is experimental and surprises you with every sip. If not told, you will keep playing guess-the-ingredient in your head.
Do yourself a favour and check out Rannaghor by Sienna. But hey, there are only eight seats up for grabs, and it takes place only over the weekend. Reservation slots go live on the first day of each month. You can book them here.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Where: 49/1, Hindustan Park Rd, Golpark, Hindustan Park, Gariahat, Kolkata, West Bengal 700029
When: Friday-Sunday; 8 pm onwards | book through the link | for group bookings email on communications@siennastore.com
Cost: 4,500 per person without alcohol
