Romance Of, Romance At ... Flury's ...

There are a few places which look very beautiful at specific times during the day. Some look very beautiful by day, and others by night. And then, there are a few which look beautiful any time of the day. Standing at Bandstand even with its proximity to Lucky’s (arguably the best in Mumbai when it comes to Biryani), or Persian Darbar, about which I have blogged earlier, is primarily an evening attraction. Nothing matches peering onto the horizon over the Arabian Sea, the majesty of Bandstand around you. Follow this up with a few drinks at Janta Bar, or Toto’s, with a few friends, and Dinner at Persian Darbar, which you could follow up with a nightcap at Hawaiian Shack, and you have a wonderful evening.

On the other hand, however, there are places which can attract your attention, and bedazzle your senses any time of the day. Park Street is one of those. Whether you are sitting by the window at Flury’s, having Breakfast at a legend in Kolkata, and a name which evokes dreams in anyone who has even remotely been attached to Kolkata, watching Park Street waking up in the pleasant morning breeze, people walking past the windows into a wonderful morning, or whether you are sitting by the window at Flury’s, sipping Assam, or even better, Darjeeling Tea, with Sandwiches, for a late-morning Brunch, watching the day mature into the noon-time of Calcutta, with the charm of Park Street slowly getting unveiled for the eyes of those who care to look (and those who don’t, and either know what they are missing, or don’t even have a clue), or having sitting by the window at Flury’s having Lunch, watching the crowd either pass by Flury’s to another restaurant for Lunch (and there are quite a few of those, most of whome are wonderful places to eat, and also, as good as Flury’s, though of course, this one is about Flury’s, so I will stick to the point), or waiting at the gate, to enter the wonder domain with the charm of the grand old lady, Flury’s, or a late afternoon snack of Pastries and Iced Tea, watching people sedentarily getting ready for the evening, or a cup of Tea late in the evening, before you head out for a sundowner (Olypub, anyone?) and more (definitely, if you are going to Olypub, you wouldn’t stick to a sundowner, would you?), Flury’s is one of those places which casts its magic on you, no matter what time of the day you come here, and no matter what you want to eat.

About Breakfast, well … Breakfast at Flury’s … has been a byline for the perfect Breakfast in Calcutta for a few decades now. The variety is nice, though the All-Day Breakfast is the all-time favourite. With Eggs, Bacon, Toast, Butter, the works … filling, and something you must have with your loved one, to start the day. Or, settle for the Beans on Toast, if you would … which are altogether wonderful, especially if you make full use of the chopped Green Chillies and Onions they give to accompany. Do make sure to puff contentedly at your Cigarette as you sip the Tea (not for too long, I would think, though …). If you are planning Brunch, you could also settle for the Mustard Chicken Sandwich, or the Mayonnaise Chicken Sandwich, or choose from the number of Sandwiches on offer … believe me, most of them are very good, though I prefer the Mustard Chicken, or the Mayonnaise Chicken … among others, of course. Quite difficult to make up your mind, but that’s par for the course if you are a Fury’s aficionado. Should you plan Lunch, try the Chicken Stroganoff. This is one of the best I have ever had. Of course, there are a number of choices which you could go for. No matter what you choose, do make sure to top if off with one of those wonderful Rum Balls which Flury’s is famous for. Or, the Tiramisu … my favourite, though, are the Chocolate Logs … with grated Peanuts stuffing! You could definitely do well to top this off with a Strawberry Shake. Late evening, too, the Chicken Sandwiches which I wrote about are a wonderful idea … little white triangles full of taste. Accompanied with either one of their wonderful shakes, or better still, try the Iced Tea to go … unless you are one for Darjeeling or Assam … though, of course, their Masala Tea is not bad either.

Of course, all this says that Fury’s is a place which you could go to any time of the day. Though, of course, I seldom venture there after 8 pm, for the simple reason that after that, the attraction of Olypub, or one of the other establishments which give Alcohol to go with Dinner, work much more wonders than the charm of Flury’s.

During the day, however, sitting by the window of Flury’s, watching the street waking up, and coursing through the day, can be an experience which, to my mind, cannot be paralleled by many. Sitting lazily, smoking, reading a book, watching the myriad faces pass by, from all across the world (I have come across people from myriad nationalities, as well, of course, from almost all parts of India here), most of them not being able to resist catching a glimpse of Flury’s as they walk by, if they are in a hurry, or stepping in, for a little portion of some of the delights Flury’s comes up with, can be a wonderful way to pass the day.