The Tea Lounge - The Lalit Great Eastern

Anirban Halder

11 years ago

4.5

When I walked into the tea lounge of the five star address at Dalhousie (the central business district), it was a pleasant surprise. It was a sunlit yet indoor lounge, thanks to the ceiling entirely made of glass. Lights are turned on only when it is dark. Thanks to the daylight (use of which obviously scores on eco-friendliness) this spacious and comfy lounge can provide the ideal setting for a relaxed business meeting or a chit chat with an old friend after a long while. I doubt if Kolkata has another dedicated tea lounge of this standard. The Lalit chain of hotels also has such a lounge only in this property. The lounge has another feature which is as matchless. I shall come to it in a little while.  I was invited to a tea tasting session as a blogger (besides other bloggers and media) .  To start with, they serve an eclectic range of thirty two varieties of tea from sixteen select tea estates of India. Seven to eight are from select tea gardens of Darjeeling and an equal number is from Assam. Others include flavoured tea, like strawberry, which are flavours carefully mixed with tea right here to create a tea plus experience. A distinct variety from the range is silver needle tea- a fine-flavoured tea which is rarely available and happens to be one of the most expensive varieties in the world. This tea is regularly served here. A distinctive offering of the tea lounge is the Great Eastern Darjeeling tea- a tea made in Goomtee Tea Estate in Kurseong exclusively for the hotel. You won’t get it anywhere else in the world. The tea menu describes it as “available in black, green, white and oolong. When properly brewed, it yields a thin-bodied, light-colour infusion with a floral aroma. The flavour can include a tinge of astringent tannic characteristics, and a musky spiciness sometimes described as "muscatel.” It comes at Rs 350 for a pot of tea. One can even buy a pack of the tea from the lounge to take home or to gift. It has also been made available in the other five star properties of The Lalit. The other feature which is matchless as I mentioned in the beginning is the tea menu. It is a three dimensional thing that can be folded to make a box. Not only the various teas and their descriptions, it also shows you the actual tea leaves next to their names in small flat boxes covered with a transparent material. The waiting staff takes this to a customer who after going through a description can uncover the respective box and take out a pinch of the tea for whiffing its distinctive aroma. The waiter is qualified to make a recommendation suited to the person’s taste. Not only that such an approach to serving tea is out-of-the-box, it goes a long way in tea appreciation for the enthusiasts. The F&B Manager's pick from the menu would be the Great Eastern Darjeeling tea, Silver White tea (a specialty from the famous Makaibari tea garden), oriental tea and masala tea (in which select Indian spices are mixed to bring out a winning flavour which is very Indian). Masala tea is highly popular overseas. The food menu perfectly compliments the eclectic array of teas, with a range of European savouries and desserts interspersed with Bengali snack food. For instance savouries include Norwegian smoked salmon between mini bagels and date mustard (Rs 475), shrimp tartlets with Moroccan chermoule a spice (Rs 475), frittata with gruyere & onion jam (Rs 375) and Bengal style fish fingers with mustard (Rs 450). Each portion consists of six pieces. Desserts include British tea cake, New York cheesecake, apple cinnamon strudel, assortment of French macaroons and Hazelnut Praline Napoleon among others. The highlight of the menu is a British hi-tea, called The Great Eastern hi-tea and interestingly, a Bengali take on hi-tea aptly named Jol Khabar. Both have a vegetarian and a non-vegetarian version. While the British one comprises of a selection from the savoury and dessert range, the Bengali one includes Bengal shingada with cauliflower & peanuts/ mangsher shingada, fish finger, jhalmuri and an assortment of sandesh among other things. The British one is priced Rs 1000 for veg and Rs 1200 for non-veg and Jol Khabar is Rs 850 and Rs 1050 for veg and non-veg versions respectively. I tried the Great Eastern Darjeeling tea which I liked, followed by the fine British Earl Grey tea. To go with it I picked up a mini sandwich, chicken shingada, paneer wrap and cheesecake. The paneer wrap (with the wrap made of whole wheat) was good. The cheesecake was delicious and melt in the mouth, so I took a second helping. The lounge is open from 10 am to 9 pm. For the complete write-up with more pictures, visit my blog Kolkata Curry. The URL is on my profile. You can find it under the date 4th May, 2015 and the 'Beverages' label.

Indrajit Lahiri

10 years ago

4.5

Lalit Great Eastern, Kolkata team is damn serious about their tea- origin and I am not boasting about it. This place, as the history says, was used to auction tea in the pre-independence british era and now its again getting into that feel. Luckily, I was invited there to cover their tea festival (or tea treasureas as they call it) and was bowled over. Let me explain the situation. Generally, by tea, I used to mean a hot drink with some tea leaves thrown in+ lots of milk+ cardamom+ bay leaves+…….. (boiled for a long, long time)which used to taste like a hot tea-flavored-soup, but is vastly different from what is called a proper tea (forget about the first flush- second flush etc). And when such a person was invited, I was frankly amazed. But once in, I understood that amazement for me is yet to be started. For a layman like me, I just roamed around the stalls, purchased a few packs of good quality and came out. Most probably, I was looking a little confused and a senior person from the Lalit team approached me. I met Mr. Rakesh mitra, the GM of the Lalit Great Eastern and moreover, a true tea connoisseur. And, thus, in the next 1 hour ot so, the mystery of a good tea was unfolded before me by the gentleman…..  For those, who’ve not been there, Lalit has got a beautiful naturally lit tea lounge. the ceiling is made out of glass and hence, in this season, one can actually sea raindrops pouring, without getting soaked. So, if you have not been there, trust me, you’ve missed something. And the tea menu was presented before me. Actually it is something to be seen- the menu itself. The tea names are given, but beside there was a small sample of tea leaves so that a true tea lover can identify them instantly. Actually, even the tea menu is done in two ways. One was based out of the tea varieties and the other one was on the tea gardens- splendid, I must say- these guys take the tea thing seriously. Naturally, I took the help of Mr. Mitra in selecting my choice and he ordered Darjeeling first Flush. I found out later, its made from the young tea leaves and thus had a fresh pungent smell. The tea is brewed on the table, based on individual preferences (2/3/4 min) and the help of a cute sand clock was taken. I was suggested to take it with honey (instead of sugar) and happily I obliged. The tea was different from what I am used to. A subtle, pungent aroma was there- smoothness was the key and I was bowled over.  The next option what I was offered was called Jasmine Tea. When the thing arrived, surprisingly found some flower was being brewed inside the teapot and I was served at 3 min. The flower was unwrapping itself with the help of the hot water and it was a spectacle to witness the same. Taste-wise, it was even smoother, pungent smell was replaced with a flowery smell and I liked it personally over the first flush. BTW, it was again served with honey. Some cookies were served along with the tea (which I didn’t bother to take) and needless to say, the service was meticulous and top-notch. I was taking a leave after the nice session (being converted into a fine-tea-drinker), where Mr. Mitra probably sensed that I’ll need some more learning on tea and invited me for the tea tasting session to be help the next day.

Swarnali Roy

9 years ago

4.5

A very good place. The ambiance was awesome. I have tried bengal style fish finger with kasundi mustard. I went there with my friends. Its situated in near dalhousie and its very easy to recognise. Behaviour of every stuff was good and all were well mannered.

Rukshana A. Kapadia

12 years ago

4.0

The Tea Lounge is sort of an extension of the Lobby area and a perfect place for a meeting or a relaxed cup of tea. They serve up 16 special blends of tea and promote it as synonymous with our state and our "adda" culture in a far more sophisticated manner. The bright fact that though air-conditioned its transparent roof that is also there at the Bar is lovely and bright during the day and one can look up at the stars in the night just adds to the charm of the place. They have a nice selection of finger foods but the highlight are the High - Teas of which they have three varieties ... The Great Eastern Hi-Tea , The Bengal Connection and The Champagne Hi-Tea ... I would recommend the Bengal Connection hands down. When you walk into the lobby look out for two touches that I loved .... the perfectly restored century old piano manufactured by M.F.Rachal & Co from Germany which occupied pride of place in the legendary Maxim's Bar of the Great Eastern ... now it occupies a proud place on the left hand side of the lobby and they still have someone to come and play music in the evenings on it. The second which I thought a lovely subtle touch is the arch at the opposite end shaped like a fish head to underline the Bengal Connect that is there in every corner of the hotel. The other side of the arch is The Tea Lounge. If your looking at an elegant setting with great tea and snacks for a meeting this is a great place to have it !

Pamela Nandi (Foodaholic)

7 years ago

4.0

A lazy afternoon over a tall glass of summer staple refreshment -peached 🍑 ice tea muddled with fresh mint leaves and lemon 🍋 while enjoying the chic ambience of the high - ceilinged open lobby space surrounded by cool contrast colour tones of green and white which is very eye soothing.

Shunondo Basu

9 years ago

3.5

The Lalit Great Eastern has seen a magnificent revival since its recent renovations. How nice that this little tea room has found such a perfect home. A group of 7 of us embarked on a mission to the Lalit after having passed on the *other* boutique hotel in the vicinity. We ordered 5 different teas; 4 varieties of Darjeeling and one Assam. We also ordered a mix of veg and non-veg snacks. Let's start with the good. The food was outstanding! Everything from the mutton samosas, nimki and chops were very tasty. On the sweet side, the scones with Devonshire cream, Indian sweets, and fruit tarts were also delicious. This was a bit more extensive than your typical English high tea but Bengalis will never complain about being fed extra. The tea, unfortunately, left a bit to be desired. Not a single one left me with a memorable flavor. A couple of them got bitter very quickly too. This tells me that the water was poured into the pot while it was too hot and the tea leaves were probably not stored properly. The thing that absolutely baffled me was that a couple of the teas were served in a French press. A French press is used for coffee! This made no sense whatsoever. Tea should be served in a pot. There are no exceptions to this. On another service note, we had to prompt the wait staff for milk and sugar, something that should automatically be served with tea. All in all, despite some glitches in the service, I'd give the tea room in the Lalit a second try. The food and the ambiance alone are worth a visit.

Manjari

7 years ago

1.0

I'm usually not he one to write a review upon every visit i make to restaurants...but this one i just had to share!! firstly we had booked at the bakery...but we were escorted to this place...but we really dint have an issue...so we settled in..it was on the 14th of feb...and there was nothing special in terms of decor... we were asked to sit on table with torn seat covers which is just not accepted!! and when there is so much heritage attached to this place we expect a certain amount of fineness.. the food is that not great.... coming right to the point..the cakes are dry...the cold cuts have a peculiar taste and smell...the breads were just about okay.... this particular lady called NEHA was extremely rude...all the time we were there she did not even have a speck of smile on her face...even while speaking to us...infact while getting up the stair...she just brushed off..and i almost fell off the stair...she did not even bother to say sorry... i think  staff like her should be trained further to cater in the hospitality sector... also a few of them have no clue..we saw an empty table without a reservation sign and waited to sit...so this guy went ahead and told us to sit..but from no where another person came and said that its reserved ...like really!! also the billing...now you do not need to pay the service charge..its basically your wish...without asking they added on to our bill..upon my husband's questioning they did make the refund immediately. its almost 1200 per person...iv had breakfast at many places..and i would suggest MARRIOTT..any day...they have better quality staff...ambiance...and above all food!!  iv had many a fond memories of my childhood at this place especially with my grandfather...and this was was first visit after they reopened...and it was JUST RUINED... so YOU CHOOSE WISE !!

Niladri Das

4 years ago

1.0

I won’t go anymore. I had very bad experience. I opted this place as of my new exploration but I highly disappointed by their hospitality and behaviour. I asked for them for buying cookies but the way they replied... it was horrible experience. It was bad moments for me.