SHOPPER’S GUIDE - MALLS & SPECialisED Shops City Centre = C, Forum = F, Mani Square = M, South City Mall = S, Shoppers Stop = SS SHOPPING IN KOLKATA Pantaloons as well as Kolkata’s first-ever Spencer’s Hypermarket, the anchor store, Kolkata has come a long way from what it which is located in the basement. The mall is used to be. There was a time when the only fronted by a huge Marks & Spencer. Branded one-stop-shop was the New Market. However, stores such as Louis Philippe, The Body times are a-changing and no city is complete Shop, Wills Lifestyle, Adidas, Swarovski and without its very own Mega mall. Enter South Chemistry are all present here. The top floor City, City Centre and Mani Square, three of the largest malls in Kolkata boasting the grandest international brands available. In addition to these there are the Forum, Avani Heights and Hiland Park Metropolis Mall. So, now we are flooded by a plethora of shopping malls, that aren’t just malls; they’re architectural marvels, at par with some of the best in the world. Specialty malls have also become commonplace in the City of Joy, with the introduction of Fort Knox, the jewellery of this mall includes a whole host of specialty mall, Shagun - the Wedding Mall, the Alpha restaurants such as Sigree – Flame and Grill, Family Medical Mall and Homeland Mall. But Benjarong, Zara, Mainland China and malls aren’t the only shopping destinations in Cookie Man. Along with this is FoodTalk, this multi-faceted city. Gariahat, New Market, Kolkata’s largest food court that includes Rashbehari, Dakshinapan and Bowbazaar are counters such as Gelato, Not Just Dosa, as good as any one-stop shop; except the prices Chaat Bazaar, Pizza for Friends, Yatra Express are lower and you always have the satisfaction and Mr. Potato. The mall also includes a 6- of a good bargain! There’s no dearth of stuff screen Fame Cinemas, specially designed to buy, so indulge in saris, ceramics, fabrics, with extra leg-room for the viewers along arts and crafts. with a specialised Gold-Class auditorium to enhance the overall shopping experience. An SOUTH CITY MALL added feature is a huge 3 level car park. Address: 375, Prince Anwar Shah Road, This mall covers a million square feet Kolkata- 68. Ph: 4007 2181/82 and includes a Shoppers Stop, Starmark, Open: Daily Timings: 11am – 9pm Children’s Wear Gini & Jony (C, F, S) Kidzz (C) Kittens (S) Liliput (C, M, S) Little Shop (F, M, S) Pumpkin Patch (S) Ruff (SS) Stop (SS) United Colors of Benetton (F, S) Zapp (M, SS) 43 SEPTEMBER 2008 CITY CENTRE building. Kolkata’s first KFC opened in this mall and, along with other food joints such as Haka, The Tea Junction and Kookie Jar, continues to draw large crowds. Address: City Centre DC Block Sector – 1 Salt Lake, Kol – 64 Ph: 2358 1011/12/13 Open: Daily Timings: 10:30am – 8:30pm FORUM This 200,000 sq. ft. mall was the first of its kind in Kolkata and remains popular due to its maintenance of standards and quality. It introduced Kolkatans to a new way of Opened in 2004, this 3-floor mall spanning shopping with everything from designer 4,00,000 sq. ft. includes a variety of stores for fashion, entertainment, electronics, food and gifts. However, it is a favourite among people who just wish to meet up and have a quick bite at The Hangout, the food court. The entire area is divided into different blocks, The Mall and The Plaza contain the stores (Arrow, Color Plus, Heritage, a 3- storey Shoppers Stop, C3, Samsonite, Planet M, Reebok, to name a few) but there is also a 4-screen Inox Cineplex, the Fountain Plaza to relax in and The Tower, an 8-storey office Women’s Wear brands (Satya Paul, Swarovski, Patchi, Rado), accessories (Hidesign Boutique, Nik Nish), stationery (Archies), music (Music World), patisserie (Biscotti) and candy (Candy Treats), all available under one roof. Its anchor store is the 3-storey Shoppers Stop, a one-stop shop for branded jewellery and perfumes as well as household goods such as crockery and linen. Add to that, Starstruck, the multi- cuisine restaurant, Oh! Calcutta a specialty restaurant, an exclusive gym (Geo Fitness Western Indo-Western Studio), a 4-screen Inox Cineplex and a food Allenby (M) Fi (C, F, M, S,) And (M) Komal Sood (S) Chemistry (S) Be (F) Dulce Celia (S) Samsaara (S) Guess (S) Hues (S) Satya Paul (F) Latin Quarters (S) Traditional Isvarah (M, SS) Vermilion (C) Next (S) Anokhi (F) Megha Modi (F) M & S (S) Biba (C, S) Ritu Kumar (F, S) 44 SEPTEMBER 2008 Men’s Wear Western Arrow (C, S) ColorPlus (C, F, M, S) Lacoste (C, S) Louis Philippe (S) Moustache (C, M, S) Success (M, S) The Raymond Shop (C, S) Turtle (C, M, S) Van Heusen (S) Zodiac (C, M, S) Traditional Gatha (C, F, S) court, Burp!, on the last floor and it’s a world own café including Kolkata’s first-ever Costa of its own. Coffee. The 3-Screen Cineplex from Cinemax Address: 10/3 Elgin Road, Kol – 20. will give much-needed entertainment, but Ph: 2283 6022 the IMAX is sure to steal the limelight. Scary Open: Daily Timings: 10am – 8pm (for retail) House, a Kolkatan version of Horror House, will keep young visitors on their toes. And MANI SQUARE one can always stop by at the mall’s many The latest mall to hit Kolkata also promises specialty restaurants like Flame and Grill, to be the grandest. More than 7,00,000 sq. Haka, Machaan and its seventeen-counter ft., this mall caters to international tastes, food court. The mall also has a nightclub, hosting brands such as Tissot, Rado, Pepe, Shack, and three open-air banquet halls. Zodiac, United Colors of Benetton, Turtle, Address: 164/1, Manicktalla Main Road, on And, FI, Blackberry’s, Reebok and Adidas. E.M. Bypass Kol – 54. The anchor store, Spencer’s Hypermarket, Ph: 2320 1875/ 76/77/79 covering 60,000 sq. ft. on the ground floor, is Open: Daily Timings: 11am – 11pm sure to steal the show. Each floor holds its very Jeans Lee (C, S) Levi’s (C, F, M, S) Pepe (C, F, M, S) Spykar (C, F, M, S) Wrangler (C, M, S) Sports Wear Adidas (C, F, M, S) Nike (C, F, M, S) Planet Sports (F, S) Puma (M, S) Reebok (C, F, M, S) 45 SEPTEMBER 2008 GARIAHAT MALL people relax over a cup of tea. There are Its location is its U.S.P. This 5-storey, 95,000 several state emporiums such as Punjab, sq. ft. mall holds a host of brands such as Assam, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Kerala Nokia, Westside, Levis, Archies and Music where one can purchase original creations World. The façade itself is charming and from these regions. However, it being an the C3 hypermarket sells daily necessities open-air complex, one should take adequate at lower prices. The ground floor includes a precautions against the sun or rain. Camellia to quench one’s thirst after a long- Address: 2 Gariahat Road (South) Kol -31. day’s shopping. The food court, Yummy, has Ph: 2867 1098 Open: Monday – Saturday. ten counters offering cuisines from Bengal, Timings: 10:30am – 7:30pm China, Northern and Southern India. Corn n’ Kebab, the multi-cuisine restaurant and FORT KNOX the Octane Lounge Bar add dimension to The first all-jewellery mall was set up in 2006, this impressive mall. spanning over 40,000 sq. ft. The first five floors Address: 13 Jamir Lane, Near Bijon Setu, Kol of the nine-storey structure are dedicated to – 17. Ph: 2461 3501 the retail stores, whereas the rest four are used for jewelers’ offices as well as restaurants, DAKSHINAPAN Urban Desi, Little Italy and Venom, the Established in 1986, Dakshinapan is the nightclub. Though its anchor store is the hi- ideal one-stop-shop for all those interested end Tanishq, other stores in Fort Knox are in handicrafts and handlooms. This two- Orra, Adora, Cygnus, Kiah, D’damas, Zenith, storey structure hosts almost 140 shops Sakshi and Komal Creations. The mall eclipses selling everything from footwear, jamdani all price-ranges and fashions, with something saris, kantha work, dokra, patha chitra, for everyone. The security measures are also madhubani paintings, shantiniketan bags, top-of-the-line, with 24-hour surveillance and fabrics, jewellery, and other authentic Bengal automatic alarm systems. crafts. Most of the shops are conveniently Add: 6, Camac Street, Kol – 16. located around the central courtyard, where Ph: 2282 5686 Shoes Florsheim (SS) Lee Cooper (SS) Liberty Revolution (M) Magnet (M) M&B Shoes (M) Metro (F, S) Rocia (S) Soles (F) Trend (F) Woodland’s (C) Leather Accessories Blue And Blues (M, SS) Guess (SS) Hidesign (F, S) Indostyle (S) Longhorns (C, M) 46 SEPTEMBER 2008 Home Furnishing Bombay Dyeing (SS) Cocoon (F) Collection 1 (M) Fab World (C) Spaces (C, SS) Luggage Giordano (C) Roncato (S) Samsonite (C, F, M, S) V.I.P. Suitcases (M) Cocoon NEW MARKET HILAND PARK METROPOLIS The first one-stop shop may not have been MALL as glamorous as today’s shopping malls, but The Metropolis Mall is situated in the Hiland it certainly made life far more convenient for Park residential complex. While its location Kolkatans. Initially named Sir Stuart Hogg may be a drawback for those not living market after the then Calcutta Corporations in Hiland Park, it makes up for it with its Chairman, the name was changed to New products, brands.