Monkey Bar Returns to Kolkata’s Park Street With a Two-Floor Gastropub Format

Monkey Bar, which entered India's gastropub market in 2012, is returning to Kolkata with a new outlet on Park Street. The restaurant will open on 17th September 2026, with full operations commencing on 18th September. The reopening marks the brand's renewed presence in a city where it previously operated and reflects its focus on established dining and nightlife markets.

Spread across two floors, the new outlet is designed to accommodate multiple dining and consumption occasions, including afternoon dining, post-work drinks, dinner service and late-night entertainment. The format combines food, beverages and music programming, allowing the venue to operate across different dayparts rather than relying exclusively on evening and nightlife traffic.

The Kolkata outlet will focus on a menu combining regional Indian preparations, local influences and international comfort food. Its offerings include small plates, bar snacks, flatbreads and main-course dishes. Some of the preparations draw on regional ingredients and cooking styles, including Bengali Radhuni Chicken, Champaran Mutton, Gongura Chicken Satay, Bandel Malai Fish and Madras Spice Tofu. The menu has been developed by Chef Sumit Choudhary, with an emphasis on Indian flavours adapted for a contemporary gastropub format.

Chef Sumit Choudhary said, “Since opening its doors in 2012, Monkey Bar has always placed great emphasis on both food and drinks. Being a bar, our philosophy has always been to focus on elevated Indian bar food with simple, bold and sharp flavours. The menu brings together reimagined regional Indian and street-food recipes with an innovative twist, using international techniques that pair perfectly with cocktails, beer or straight drinks. For Kolkata, we’ve also brought back some favourites from the old Monkey Bar menu that I’m sure guests have been looking forward to. The inspiration comes from different cities, regions and parts of India, brought together in a way that feels both familiar and new.”

The beverage programme, titled Tales of India, focuses on incorporating regional Indian ingredients into contemporary cocktails. Ingredients such as amla, gondhoraj, Madurai tamarind, mango ginger, pink guava and Himalayan citrus feature across the cocktail selection. Signature offerings include Gondhoraj Gimlet, Amla Gibson, Church Street Corner, Dirty Daisy, Kaapi Martini, Amada Penicillin and Fuego Fizz. The outlet will also offer non-alcoholic beverages as part of its drinks portfolio.

The beverage programme incorporates ingredient utilisation and waste reduction into its operating approach. Sanjay Singh, Head Mixologist at Monkey Bar, said, “With Tales of India, the idea was to look at ingredients we grew up with and give them a new expression at the bar. Each cocktail draws from a different flavour, memory or regional influence — from the tang of amla and gondhoraj to the warmth of mango ginger and the nostalgia of filter kaapi. We’ve kept the drinks approachable and playful, but there’s a lot of thought that goes into how each ingredient is used, including finding ways to minimise waste and make the beverage programme more sustainable.”

The two-floor layout will also support separate programming formats, with daytime dining transitioning into evening entertainment and late-night music. Baruni Sharma, Head of Programming, will oversee the venue's events calendar, including DJ performances, artist engagements, collaborations and experiential events. The marketing function will be led by Suramya Pandit, Marketing Manager, covering brand communication, partnerships, digital marketing and local collaborations.

Saloni Jhunjhunwalla, Local Partner at Monkey Bar, Kolkata, said, “Monkey Bar has always had a very special place in Kolkata’s social scene and bringing it to Park Street feels like the perfect next chapter. Park Street has an energy and character of its own — it’s where people come to celebrate, catch up, discover something new and, most importantly, have a great time. That spirit is at the heart of Monkey Bar. We’re incredibly excited to bring a brand that Kolkata already knows and loves into one of the city’s most iconic neighbourhoods, while giving it a fresh new home and a new reason for people to come together. We hope this Monkey Bar becomes one of those places that people return to again and again — for the food, the music, the energy, and the memories they make here.”