✍️By Special Correspondent
Sipping a cup of coffee & radiating the charm and calm of an old heritage property seems a spectacular experience. Kolkata’s newly opened café “Bunaphile” at 72, Hindustan Park, Kolkata- 700029 is that perfect destination where love for coffee intermingles with the fondness for rich cultural heritage. The 1100 sq ft. café by Sonika Dey is established within the premises of heritage house “Bhalobasha” of Nabanita Deb Sen, wife of Amartya Sen. It has both indoor and two outdoor seating arrangements.
The name “Bunaphile” combines two words- Buna, which means coffee making art of Ethiopia & Phile means love or obsession. Coffee was originally invented in Ethiopia. Aptly named, “Bunaphile” symbolises the heritage of coffee making art within the premises of an old heritage building of Kolkata. The highlight of the place is its choice of coffee and food and also the vibe of rich traditional Bengali building with lush greenery, airy rooms, high ceilings adorned with chandeliers, & the old red floor. In order to revive the grandeur of old heritage property, black and white marbles have been used outside the café. The café has an arrangement of 50 seaters with 30 placed indoor and 20 placed outdoor. Its doors are opened to all, 7 days a week from 7a.m. to 11p.m.
Sonika Dey, owner of Bunaphile, says, “I love heritage properties and had a dream of coming up with a heritage-themed restaurant or café. Bunaphile is here to cater to the coffee cravings of people in a tranquil old heritage building with soft music playing in the background. This is the perfect place for your work, date, or even family outing. We have two outdoor seating arrangements, one cosy and small and another a little bigger. Both of them have smoking zones. Rich and abundant greenery in the garden area will soothe the eyes and grant you a congenial time to spend.”
After completing her MBA & working in corporate sector for long, Sonika Dey started her own business “Krazzy for Waffle” in 2018. The first outlet was opened in Jadavpur and right now 12 outlets are crazily serving flavourful waffles in Kolkata. She will also come up with other outlets of “Krazzy for Waffle” in Delhi and Bangalore by next month. Her latest addition “Bunaphile” is her long-cherished dream & waiting to serve your favourite cuppa, food & make you feel as snug as a bug in a rug!