Walking along those bye lanes of salt lake with similar looking buildings all around me gets pretty confusing and leaves your mind in a haze. So when i noticed this big board claiming " this is the place your friends were talking about" it left me intrigued. On inching closer to the place i was very impressed with what I saw. A small little cafe tucked away secretly inside one of these innumerable lanes of salt lake.Having walked around, lost in these mazes, i went in imaging it to be a mirage for the tired mind.
Decor 3/5
The decor is quite cool, the lighting and the colour scheme adds to the look. Done up in hues of brown, the lanterns hanging from the ceilings gives a rich contrast to the cafe, giving it a very contemporary look. On a big wall,pictures of eminent chefs surround the fish tank. A mix of the who's who of the national and international cooking arena. While i took my place in a corner i noticed the book rack with a couple of interesting reads on display. I got up, selected 'three men in a boat' and took my place in the corner again as Hotel California played softly in the background.Seeing people walking on the roads gave me an assurance that this mirage was real.
Food 4/5
I ordered a perk shake(Rs. 45) and noticed that they had other interesting shakes like gems, chocolate, black forest, milo, kit kat etc. If you are hungry Bon Appetit has a lot of options for you. You can have the cheese nd chilli maggi(Rs. 35) or dig into the wai wai bhel(Rs.35), have a bite of the pint sized pita pockets(Rs.45) which packs quite a punch or if you are watching your weight then try the Hawaiian salad(Rs. 50). There is also Mushroom on Toast(Rs.45), Lover's Eggs(Rs.45), Corn on Toast(Rs. 40) and Garlic Bread(Rs. 25) on offer. If you are very hungry then go for the parathas(Rs.40) which are accompanied by dahi and pickle and will fill you up. Desserts are something that makes Bon Appetit special. Try the chocolate pancakes(Rs. 40) with liberal servings of vanilla ice cream or the chocolate explosion (a molten hot brownie with chocolate sauce and dollops of vanilla ice cream). They also serve tira misu, brownies, muffins etc.
Crowd
Its mostly empty during daytime but it slowly starts filling in as the sun goes down and it becomes difficult for you to find a place around 8. Its mostly the college going crowd or the young professionals who frequent this place.
Pocket Pinch 5/5
As i opened the menu card my eyes darted to the right hand side. As a college student i was perennially broke and i wanted to find out whether i could eat to my heart's content or not. To my relief the stuff was very reasonably priced with parathas at Rs. 45 (cheese, thai corn, paneer and others), coolers like mango panna, ice teas , mint and kiwi all at 30 bucks. The cheapest item on the menu was garlic bread for Rs. 25 and the most expensive was chocolate explosion for Rs. 75.
A meal for two would cost Rs 150.
Must Haves
Chocolate Pancakes, Chocolate Explosion, the Shakes and the desserts.
Final Verdict 3.5/5
I really liked the place. Its easygoing, laidback and reminds you of the Goan shacks (without the beer that is). The only problem that i had with the place was that it was vegetarian. They should introduce sausages, ham and bacon and this would be a one of its kind breakfast place in Calcutta.
Do visit Bon Appetit- it will leave you with a full bodied experience while not burning a hole in your pocket.
Store Timings
Tuesday to Sunday 9 am to 8 45 pm. Mondays Closed. Last Orders at 8 30 pm.
How to Get There
From Karunamoyee: Take an auto from Karunamoyee Get down at Char(4) No. Tank. Enter the gali opposite NIFD. It should have a kodak shop on the more. Keep on walking straight and you will find it to your left.
From City Centre: Keep Bhikaram Bhujia shop on your left and go straight. Take a right from the first gol chakar. Then take a left from the next gol chakar. Keep on going straight and Bon Appetit will be on your left.
