Overview
- Signature Dishes: Kolkata biryani
- Opening Times & Days: 5:00 am to 11:30 pm, daily
- Address: 135 Park Street, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
- Contact: 033 2286 6806
- Reservation: Yes
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Summary
Located on Park Street next to the South Park Street Cemetary, Shiraz Restaurant Kolkata used to be synonymous with Kolkata biryani in addition to serving other Muslim-style dishes. Today, the restaurant is a ghost of the past with hefty prices, small portions and low quality food. If you’re after Kolkata biryani there are better restaurant chains in Kolkata – Zeeshan on Syed Amir Ali Avenue in Park Street is one of them.
Shiraz Restaurant Kolkata
Growing up in Kolkata my family would always go to Shiraz for its famous biryani and other Muslim dishes. Returning to Kolkata as a visitor after so many years overseas, I wanted to take my Australian husband to Shiraz for a treat of Kolkata biryani. Instead, I was in for a treat when we dined here – the prices had gone through the roof, the portions had shrunk and the quality was non-existent.
Located on Park Street near the South Park Street Cemetery, Shiraz Restaurant Kolkata is synonymous with Kolkata biryani in addition to offering a range of Muslim-style dishes. When I was growing up, there was only one Shiraz Restaurant; today, there are several Shiraz restaurants scattered all over the city. Don’t be confused – the original one is located on the corner of Park Street and AJC Bose Road.
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The restaurant has two eating areas – the family room upstairs is nicer and provides more privacy, although it can be hard to get the attention of the waiting staff upstairs. The decor is nothing special; the restaurant is basic and clean with plenty of space between tables.
Although there’s plenty of waiting staff, it’s hard to get their attention. When you do, they’re not very friendly or courteous; it feels like they’ve being forced to work here.
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We ordered a Double Chicken Biryani and according to the staff we would get a plate of Chicken Biryani with double the amount of chicken. Now, while I was growing up one piece of chicken was a quarter chicken (either a breast or a thigh with attached drumstick).
When we were served the ‘double’ chicken biryani, there was a bare-bone piece of thigh with drumstick on a large plate of rice. The meat on the chicken piece was not enough to feed one person, let alone two. The rice was dry with hardly any biryani flavouring; the only saving grace was a piece of potato that was nicely cooked with a good amount of flavour.
I was totally disappointed with Shiraz Restaurant Kolkata who failed in every respect. The Shiraz I knew as a teenager is a ghost of the past; now only the name remains, whatever’s left of it. If you want to try Kolkata biryani, there are other restaurants in Kolkata that cook amazing biryani at half the cost. Try Zeeshan, another Muslim restaurant on Syed Amir Ali Avenue in Park Circus for delicious biryanis and other Muslim dishes. Their firni (rice custard) is worth trying out too.
