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Draft:Sienna Calcutta

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Sienna Calcutta is a Kolkata-based restaurant and craft store[1] that started in 2015 at Hindustan Park, South Kolkata[2]. Established as a family-run café by mother-daughter duo[2], Shanta Ghosh and Sulagna, aka Shuli Ghosh, it gained popularity for its Bengal-to-table menu and artisanal handicrafts[3].

Sienna Calcutta
The front facade of Sienna Calcutta after the rebranding in 2024
Restaurant information
Established2015
Owner(s)Shanta Ghosh & Sulagna Ghosh
Head chefAvinandan Kundu & Koyel Roy Nandy
Food typeModern Bengali
Location49/1, Hindustan Park, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700029, India
Websitewww.siennastore.com

The brand actually draws its name from the reddish hue of the soil (Sienna) of Santiniketan, where its craft studio was founded in 1993 in the village of Daronda, Birbhum district, West Bengal[2]. Sienna’s work combines Bengal’s food and craft through verticals, like dining, handmade pottery, and a Bengal-forward chef’s table in Kolkata[4][5] led by the current head chefs, Avinandan and Koyel[6]. From being a favourite neighbourhood café, Sienna Calcutta today has become a well-known modern Bengali dining restaurant in Kolkata[3].

History

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The brand owes its origins to the ceramic workshop established by Shanta in the early 1990s in Daronda, West Bengal[2]. Shuli, after completing her studies at Columbia University, returned to India and joined her mother’s venture[2]. The duo opened their first retail store at City Centre in Salt Lake, Kolkata, in 2010[2].

In 2015, Shanta and Shuli, launched Sienna Store and Café in Hindustan Park, Kolkata, combining a handicraft retail space with a café serving food like avocado tortilla salad, Mediterranean quinoa salad from Shanta, who donned the chef hat then[2]. Rewant Lokesh, Sulagna's husband, later joined the business as a consultant and is presently the business head.[2]

Rebranding

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Post a hiatus in 2024's second half, the establishment reopened in December of the same year as an evolved version of the brand[6]. Since then, the organisation has rebranded itself to Sienna Calcutta[6].

The renovated space has the retail store and café downstairs[7]. The first floor is where the restaurant is offering a Bengal-to-table menu[7]. The same floor also includes a bar concept.[6]

Lastly, the 8-seater tasting menu experience known as Rannaghor (Bengali for “kitchen”), is present on the second floor[4]. Rannaghor is Sienna's chef’s table launched in August 2025[4][5]. Led by head chefs Avinandan Kundu and Koyel Roy Nandy, this space offers a 13-course tasting menu centred on Bengal.[4][5]

Culinary Vision

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A dining room special, risotto made with indigenous ingredients of Bengal (Bengal greens, moringa, and smoked Bandel cheese)

The food at Sienna Calcutta is Bengal-forward as reiterated by the chefs through their tasting menus[8][9] and restaurant menu of weekly specials. It draws inspiration from both sides of the Bengal border (West Bengal, India and Bangladesh)[9][10]. The restaurant seeks to represent the diverse culinary stories of the region that extend beyond familiar dishes[9]. The bajaar (Bengali for "market") is a core philosophy of the brand.[8]

In 2025, Sienna's co-head chef, Koyel Roy Nandy got recognised as #29 in Food Superstars – India’s Top 30 Chefs 2025 by Vir Sanghvi's Culinary Culture.[11]

Sienna Calcutta Pop-ups

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The brand has also held multiple pop-up restaurants at various locations across India such as, in May 2025 the Sienna team did a kitchen takeover at Hosa Goa[12].

Around July 2024, Kolkata's Sienna did a pop-up at The Courtyard, Bengaluru presenting both their Bengal-forward food and ceramics[13]. In December 2024, the Sienna Calcutta team took its Bengal to table flavours to Chennai for a two day pop-up through a 10-course tasting menu[14]. Between 14th to 16th April, 2023, a two-day Sienna Calcutta pop-up also took place at The Lodhi[15] Perbacco.[16]

In addition to this, the team went on an international tour of pop-ups with the central theme of regional representation of Bengal and its culinary traditions[10]. The first one being at Jhol, Bangkok in April 2024[17] followed by another pop-up at Lo Quay, Singapore in May 2024[17].

The crafts side of the brand has a long-standing association with the Shuffling Suitcases[18] and has held apparel exhibits across Indian cities as well as internationally in Singapore extending on their vision of representing Bengal[18].

Awards

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  • 2025 – 6th best restaurant in India among the country’s top 50 restaurants by Conde Nast Traveller[19]
  • 2025 – Chef Koyel Roy Nandy, head chef at Sienna, won the #29 in Food Superstars – India’s Top 30 Chefs 2025 by Culinary Culture[11]
  • 2025 – Sienna Calcutta got 3 stars by Culinary Culture[20]
  • 2024 – Sienna Store & Café got 3 stars by Culinary Culture[21]
  • 2024 – Family Restaurant of the Year – East, Sienna Store & Café, Kolkata, ET Hospitality World
  • 2024 – Best Regional Spotlight at Delicious Dining Awards 2024 by Travel + Leisure[22]
  • 2023 – Best Emerging Restaurant at Delicious Dining Awards 2023 by Travel + Leisure[23]
  • 2023 – Awarded the 5th best restaurant in India among the country’s top 50 restaurants by Conde Nast Traveller[24]

References

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[2][25][6][7][4][8][12][15][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][26][27][16][28][29][10][1][14][5][30][13][31][3][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][9][39][40][41][42][43][44]

  1. ^ a b Kohli, Diya (2023-12-15). "The people turning Kolkata's past into present cool". Condé Nast Traveller India. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Leader, The Weekend. "US-born Bengali girl returns to her roots and sets up a Rs 3 crore turnover business selling food and artefacts". www.theweekendleader.com. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
  3. ^ a b c www.ETHospitalityWorld.com. "The Sienna metamorphosis". ETHospitalityWorld.com. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
  4. ^ a b c d e Kohli, Diya (2025-09-09). "Rannaghor by Sienna Calcutta is a made-in-Bengal enterprise for the world". Condé Nast Traveller India. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
  5. ^ a b c d Roy, Rituparna (2025-09-14). "'Maach', 'mangsho' and 'mishti' on this tasting menu from Bengal". mint. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
  6. ^ a b c d e Alexander, Jaismita (January 2025). "Sienna Cafe and Store is back with three stories of Bengal's culinary and cultural gems". The Telegraph online.
  7. ^ a b c "Sienna Calcutta relaunches at Hindustan Park — t2 checked it out". t2online.in. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
  8. ^ a b c Basu, Rumela (May 2023). "Sienna's tasting menu inspired by Bajar to Table comes home to Kolkata".
  9. ^ a b c d Basu, Rumela (May 2023). "Sienna Cafe serves food nostalgia and hearty Bengali flavours in their tasting menu". The Telegraph online.
  10. ^ a b c "Sienna Calcutta goes on their debut international tour — Epar-Opar, a venture in collaboration with The Soul Company". t2online.in. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
  11. ^ a b "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2025-10-29.
  12. ^ a b Lounge, Team (2025-05-01). "Weekend food plan: Four-hands dinners and a Michelin experience". mint. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
  13. ^ a b Maareesha, Anagha (2024-07-17). "Kolkata's Sienna Cafe comes to Bengaluru to showcase its "Bengal forward" cuisine". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
  14. ^ a b Hospibuz. "Sienna at Focaccia: Kolkata Meets Chennai in a Unique Culinary Collaboration". hospibuz.com. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
  15. ^ a b Bhatnagar, Shubham (April 2023). "Sienna Cafe's Pop-up At The Lodhi Offers A Unique Culinary Journey Through The "Baajars" Of Bengal". NDTV Food.
  16. ^ a b "Kolkata's Sienna Café is bringing Bengali cuisine to Delhi for Poila Baisakh, Punjab's Baisakhi Mela and more". Travel and Food Network. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
  17. ^ a b c Basu, Rumela (April 2024). "Kolkata's Sienna Cafe taking Bengal to Bangkok and Singapore with the 'Epar Opar' food tour". The Telegraph online.
  18. ^ a b c "Kolkata's Sienna is heading to Singapore with their handmade goodies". The Telegraph online. September 2024.
  19. ^ a b "Three Kolkata spots shine on Conde Nast India × District's Top Restaurant Awards 2025". t2online.in. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
  20. ^ a b "Sienna Cafe". Retrieved 2025-10-28.
  21. ^ a b Karo, Christine Kumar (February 2024). "Six Kolkata restaurants in national star rating list by Culinary Culture". The Telegraph online.
  22. ^ a b "These Standalone Restaurants & Bars Took Home Top Honors At Delicious Dining Awards 2024". Travel and Leisure Asia | India. 2024-08-05. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
  23. ^ a b "Travel + Leisure India & South Asia Honours Culinary Excellence in the 4th Edition of the Delicious Dining Awards with an All-New Jury Approved Category". www.businesswireindia.com. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
  24. ^ a b Ail, Arundhati (2023-10-09). "Indian Accent voted #1 restaurant again; Bomras at #2 and Masque at #3 at CNT's Top Restaurant Awards". Condé Nast Traveller India. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
  25. ^ Roy, Ujjainee (April 2022). "In pictures: The best work-friendly cafes in Kolkata". The Telegraph online.
  26. ^ Kohli, Diya (2023-04-11). "For Poila Boishakh, the flavours of Bengal's markets are coming to Delhi". Condé Nast Traveller India. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
  27. ^ Dina, Arzoo (2023-04-11). "18 new restaurants in India to dine at this April—across Mumbai, Pune, Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, Goa and Hyderabad". Vogue India. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
  28. ^ Ail, Arundhati (2024-02-06). "The coolest culinary pop-ups to sign up for in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi this February". Condé Nast Traveller India. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
  29. ^ Dina, Arzoo (2024-02-08). "24 new restaurants in India to dine at this February—across Mumbai, Pune, Delhi-NCR, Goa, Bengaluru and Kolkata". Vogue India. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
  30. ^ Alexander, Jaismita (May 2025). "Fried lentil love: Sienna Calcutta's Koyel Roy Nandy deciphers Bengal's boris". The Telegraph online.
  31. ^ Dsouza, Krystelle. "Beyond Rosogollas: Have You Tried These Unique Foods in Kolkata Yet?". thebetterindia.com. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
  32. ^ Basu, Rumela (November 2024). "Nine years of Sienna: 9 things to look forward to as the award-winning Kolkata eatery reopens". The Telegraph online.
  33. ^ Alexander, Jaismita (April 2025). "Kolkata restobars are dishing out the city's classic savoury dishes as cocktails". The Telegraph online.
  34. ^ Mazumder, Nayantara (December 2022). "Does Sienna food make you smile? Blame it on a happy kitchen!". The Telegraph online.
  35. ^ Mookerjee, Auroni (January 2023). "The Kolkatan is a thinking diner: Chef Auroni Mookerjee". The Telegraph online.
  36. ^ "Michelin-star restaurateur Roni Mazumdar explores Kolkata's bazaars Sienna cafe with chef Auroni Mookerjee". The Telegraph online.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  37. ^ Basu, Rumela (April 2024). "Sandesh to Sienna — chef Anna Polyviou's Kolkata sojourn featured the best of city stories and food". The Telegraph online.
  38. ^ "Founder of Sienna Store & Cafe, Shuli Ghosh, On What Makes It The Most Preferred Hangout Spot in Kolkata". Travel and Leisure Asia | India. 2019-06-27. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
  39. ^ Basu, Rumela (September 2023). "Old favourites, hilsa, and new delights on Sienna Cafe's Durga Puja menu". The Telegraph.
  40. ^ Mitra, Pooja (November 2022). "Watch Sienna Cafe's sous chef Koyel Roynandi X Bong Eats". The Telegraph online.
  41. ^ Katyal, Diya (July 2025). "Sienna Cafe Review: The new charmer on Kolkata's Park Street". www.lifestyleasia.com. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
  42. ^ Alexander, Christine Kumar, Jaismita, Karo (January 2024). "Eleven cafes serving creamy-dreamy hot chocolate in Kolkata". The Telegraph online.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  43. ^ Sen, Ramona (April 2022). "Kolkata is the food capital of India: Asma Khan". The Telegraph online.
  44. ^ "শাক রিসোতো থেকে অমলেটের ঝোল, চেনা রান্নায় অচেনা মোড়ক দিতে শেখালেন সিয়েনার রন্ধনশিল্পীরা". Anandabazar.com. September 2025. {{cite web}}: |first= missing |last= (help)
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