A new cafe that is cozy, quirky, colorful and run by adults with special needs. A tea room where you get the original texture and signature aromas of some of the most memorable teas of the world. Read about Cafe ICanFlyy and Karma Kettle in this post.
Cafe ICanFlyy
This cafe is a special place for sure. Not just because it is run by adults with special needs like Prakriti , Komal, Saloni and Udita but because the warmth and love that you experience here makes every visit memorable.
Located near Maddox square, the cafe is the brainchild of mother-daughter duo, Minu and Priyam Budhia who run the organisation, Caring Minds. Komal, Saloni, Udita and the others are participants of the I Can Fly program where they learn various types of vocational skills. And one of them is working in the cafe, interacting with guests and helping with the service.
When you enter Cafe ICanFlyy, the first thing you will notice is the bright, colorful and quirky decor and of course the board that mentions Free Wi-Fi! There is both indoor and outdoor seating. There are ‘Pinterest’ type quotes hung on the walls, and you get to meet CatLisa and CatPatra as well. On each table is a personalized card telling you about who will serve you, their name and a little bit about them. Once you decide on your order, you will need to write that down and hand it over to your server.
The food is your regular cafe food which means a variety of sandwiches, pastas, pizzas, Maggi and other tidbits. They also have a good range of hot and cold beverages like Berry and Basil Soda, Hot Chocolate etc. The cafe’s signature dessert is Caprese made with basil sponge, white chocolate mousse, mascaporne and tomato confit. Yes, tomato in a dessert and surprisingly, the combination works quite well! Prices are reasonable and you can easily get a meal for two at Rs 500.
Other things that make Cafe ICanFlyy awesome is the availability of plenty of board games, a shelf dedicated to food and handmade products like bookmarks, coasters etc that you can take home, open mic and karaoke nights and a lot of fun events that take place regularly. The cafe is closed on Mondays.
Cafe ICanFlyy
Karma Kettle
If you love tea then this place is heaven for you. Located inside The Ivy House in Swinhoe Street, Karma Kettle is Dhiraj and Priti Arora’s venture to give Kolkata a taste of teas that are sourced from across the globe. Both of them are avid tea drinkers and travelers and Karma Kettle was born in 2013 when they decided to merge both these passions together. The family also owns Cochrane Place, a heritage boutique hotel in Kurseong with a specialized tea bar called ‘Chai Country’.
The decor of Karma Kettle is charming, quaint and if I may add, very pretty with both European and Bengali design elements. Inside the team room, you can spot a black desk which used to be a cottage piano ages back, glass test tubes containing exotic tea blends and shelves displaying around 40 varieties of tea in the form of tea bags, loose leaf and herbal infusions, packaged in attractive containers and boxes. Also on display are accessories like tea pots, kettles and tea cups. The price range of the teas start at Rs. 250.
What to try at Karma Kettle? I loved Nathula, a caffeine-free tea that combines the herbal flavours of Tulsi with rhododendron and marigold flowers, Shanti, an aromatic tea that combines jasmine with green tea, Gulmarg, an exotic blend of green tea with spices, saffron, safflower petals, and almond bits and Maya, which is black tea with chocolate and cranberry. There are plenty of other options available that you can enjoy with some light bites. Do not miss out on tasting these wonderful tea blends at Karma Kettle. And the good news is that they are opening their own cafe very soon!
Karma Kettle
4, Swinhoe Street, Ballygunge Place, Ballygunge, Kolkata – 700019