# Overview Avartana at ITC Royal Bengal is an award-winning modern South Indian fine dining restaurant that opened in November 2022 as the second outpost of the acclaimed Avartana brand (first opened at ITC Grand Chola, Chennai in 2017). Created by Chef Ajit Bangera and now led by Chef Aditya, the restaurant holds the #1 ranking in Kolkata on TripAdvisor (5.0/5 rating with 667+ reviews) and ranks #24 in Asia's Fine Dining category. The elegant 62-seat restaurant features an open kitchen spanning 2,840 sq ft—one of India's largest for a specialty restaurant—with white and gold decor accented by banana flower light installations and coconut-shaped lamps. # Why Visit Visit Avartana for an extraordinary culinary journey that reimagines South Indian cuisine through molecular gastronomy and global techniques, where traditional ingredients from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana are transformed into innovative tasting menu experiences. The restaurant offers five distinct tasting menus (Maya, Bela, Jiaa, Anika, and Tara) ranging from 7 to 13 courses, featuring theatrical presentations like French-pressed rasam, edible ghee candles, and personalized menu cards researched with your name and photo. Winner of TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice Awards 2025 as India's #1 restaurant, Avartana delivers a 2-3 hour progressive dining experience perfect for special celebrations and culinary enthusiasts seeking cutting-edge Indian gastronomy. # Menu Highlights - French-pressed rasam (double distilled tomato rasam served in French press with coriander) - Raw mango pudding with edible ghee candle - Asparagus and coconut stew with idiyappam (turmeric and coconut) - Uthukuli chicken with Malabar parotta and butter toffee (white butter from Uthukuli, Tamil Nadu) - Fennel panna cotta with angel hair caramel (fake egg presentation with mango-ginger coulis) - Citrus coconut with coffee ice cream (chocolate coconut wedge with coffee anglaise) - Coriander chicken with mini appam - Fermented chilli prawn with idli base - Lauki (bottle gourd) spirals with plum chutney on repurposed gin bottle plates - Pumpkin and candied ginger dessert with jaggery and sesame ice cream # Additional Information - **Address:** ITC Royal Bengal, 1 JBS Haldane Avenue, Kolkata, West Bengal 700046, India - **Phone:** +91 33 4446 4646 - **Email:** [email protected] or [email protected] - **Hours of Operation:** Lunch: Saturday & Sunday only, 12:30 PM - 2:30 PM | Dinner: Daily, 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM (Closed for lunch Monday-Friday) - **Reservation Policy:** Reservations highly recommended due to popularity and tasting menu format. Book via website, email, or phone. - **Pet Policy:** No Info Available - **Pricing:** Average cost for two starts from INR 4,500+ taxes; 7-course with alcohol from INR 7,000 for two - **Dress Code:** Smart casuals and formal footwear - **Facilities:** Private dining room, gluten-free options, mixologist, wine sommeliers, full bar, valet parking, wheelchair accessible # Tasting Menus - **Maya** (7 courses) - "Mystical" - **Bela** (9 courses) - "Beautiful" - **Jiaa** (11 courses) - "Soulful" - **Anika** (13 courses) - "Graceful" - **Tara** (13 courses) - "Sparkle" with seafood focus All menus available in vegetarian and non-vegetarian options with customization for dietary restrictions. # Reviews - **TripAdvisor Rating:** 5.0/5 (667+ reviews as of 2025) - **TripAdvisor Ranking:** #1 of 4,731 Restaurants in Kolkata | #24 in Asia's Fine Dining category - **Awards:** TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice Awards 2025 (#1 among Indian restaurants) - **Review Snippets:** - "The place is amazing. They serve some serious progressive South Indian cuisine. The food journey was commendable. The service we received by Mr. Avinash was just impeccable...he truly knows the entire concept and food curated by chef is just flawless and flavourful." - TripAdvisor, June 2025 - "Great tasting menus, I have tried both their bela and jiaa courses, amazing food, great take on modern south indian cuisine, amazing working team." - TripAdvisor - "It was a memorable experience for us to dine at Avartana... This is not just marketing speak to push a new product range. It is a realistic description of the way the ITC Hotel Chefs have used South Indian ingredients and food forms in innovative and imaginative ways." - Shobana Rao, Cooking With Shobana blog --- ## Remarks Avartana at ITC Royal Bengal represents the pinnacle of progressive South Indian fine dining in Kolkata, where Chef Ajit Bangera's visionary concept combines molecular gastronomy with traditional ingredients from across the Southern Indian Peninsula to create theatrical multi-course tasting experiences. Holding TripAdvisor's #1 ranking in Kolkata with a perfect 5.0/5 rating and recognition as #24 in Asia's Fine Dining, the restaurant delivers unforgettable dishes like French-pressed rasam, edible ghee candle desserts, and Uthukuli chicken with butter toffee, complemented by creative cocktail presentations and personalized menu cards. With five distinct tasting menus ranging from 7 to 13 courses (Maya, Bela, Jiaa, Anika, Tara), innovative presentations that challenge traditional South Indian boundaries, and an elegant ambiance featuring one of India's largest open specialty kitchens, Avartana offers a 2-3 hour culinary journey that makes it essential for serious food enthusiasts and a must-visit destination for celebrating special occasions in the city.