Milee Droog Coffee & Bistro — Your Stop For Slavic Flavours In Kolkata

Dining

TL Tastings: Milee Droog Coffee & Bistro — Your Stop For Slavic Flavours In Kolkata

A mix of old world charm and modern vibes offer the perfect backdrop to the menu at Milee Droog (Russian for ‘Dear Friend’) that showcases progressive food from around the world.

TL Tastings
A Review of Milee Droog Coffee & Bistro

Cuisine

The menu is largely global with focus on Slavic, Mexican, Spanish and Indian dishes. However, you might find that some of the Slavic dishes have been modified slightly to suit the Indian palate.

Although the menu aims to embrace global cuisine, Satyaki Manna, one of the founding partners, says more Russian and Slavic dishes will be introduced gradually.

We Recommend

Appetiser

The appetiser, soups and salads menu is fairly long. I start with the popular Russian pancake, Blinis, with fillings of ham and cheese (INR 399+), and finely-chopped mushroom in horseradish cream (INR 299+). I pass over the Classic Kotleti (INR 399), a Russian version of chicken cutlet served with garlic mash and mustard sauce (INR 399+) and opt for the Siberian Pelmeni (INR 399+). Food historians may argue about the origin of the dish – Siberian or Uralic – but I love the dill butter-tossed soft dumplings (they come in three varieties – chicken, pork and mushroom) floating in the stock of fillings and served with sour cream. They also have the Borscht (INR 399+), a soup made with beetroot. Among the salads, choose from a Russian style Crab Salad (INR 499+) and Salad Olivier (INR 499+).

Main Course

Here, I deviate from the Russian menu and dive into more familiar dishes. The Coffee Licked Lamb Chops (INR 799+) are soft while the freshly ground coffee flavour along with mint coriander chutney give it a pleasantly quirky taste. If you want to continue with the Russian theme, then there is Beef/Chicken Stroganoff (INR 699+).

If you have some dietary restrictions, do check with the chef. If possible, they will try to serve something to your taste and choice. For my companion, they serve a Greek Style Courgette Lasagne (INR 699 +) baked with zucchini, olives and feta cheese. The mains, including the shared options, are an eclectic mix with a bias towards Indian dishes.

Dessert

The café plays it safe with mostly regular options – Classical Tiramisu (INR 399+), Sugarless Orange Crème Brule (INR 299+), Berry Cheesecake (INR 299+), etc.

Drinks

While they are yet to get their bar licence, they are not skimping on the beverages menu. For now, this consists of a wide range of tea, coffee, matcha and mocktails. I start with a Refreshing Rose (INR 279+), a blend of tender coconut and rose, from the mocktails section, and end with a hearty round of Cappuccino (INR 169+).

Our Takeaway

Milee Droog has not only taken Kolkata’s love for Russian culture a step further by introducing the city to popular Russian dishes (starting from its earlier avatar located inside Gorky Sadan, the Russian Cultural Centre), but has also given a fresh lease of life to a more-than-a-century-old building by refurbishing it into a grand new bistro and café.

The enclosed glass house is perfect for a small gathering.

Spread across three floors and the terrace, with elegantly designed, enclosed and open-air spaces, there are plenty of options for seating—from a cosy corner for two to a small private gathering to large corporate parties. In fact, I plan to go back during the monsoon to enjoy the rains while dining at the glass house on the roof top!