V Rating: VVV
Where: 251 Victoria St. Darlinghurst
When: Dinner Mon - Sat
Tel:(02) 9360-3650
Price: Entrees: $10.90 - $14.60. Veg Mains: $6.90 - $20.90.

Oh Calcutta! is that wonderful rarity - a fine dining restaurant with a decent selection of vegetarian food.

We ate at Oh Calcutta! on a Friday evening. While we walked in off the street, the restaurant quickly filled up and bookings seemed essential. The atmosphere is sophisticated, with white tablecloths, a modern interior and almost intimidatingly professional wait staff clad in black. The very charming owner (Basil Daniell) rushes from table to table, greeting every guest and often stopping briefly to share a quick joke or tidbit of gossip, along with useful information on the food. As the evening wore on, various local celebrities and even a Commonwealth runner stopped by for dinner.

Like most Indian restaurants, Oh Calcutta! had a great range of both vegetarian and vegan food. Of the eight entrees, three were vegetarian and two were vegan. Half of the 12 mains were vegetarian, and five were vegan (although two mains were dahl and kuchumber which are more large sides than full main dishes). There was also a vegetarian entree and main special(saag paneer - very reluctantly declined). Even better, the yummy list of dessert puddings were made from all-vegetarian ingredients. While the menu changes regularly, it seems to consistently include a good veggie and vegan range.

The food is a modern take on traditional Indian cooking. For entree, we had baby eggplants with roasted poppy seeds, tamarind and chilli, served with puris (flat Indian bread cakes)and raita. The eggplant melted in our mouths, and the dish was spicy.

For mains, we had baby beetroot with baby spinach and buffalo paneer. Unlike most Indian cooking, the spinach leaves were whole, giving the dish an almost winter salad flavour. The fresh taste of the spinach and beetroot each came through, without being overpowered by spices. We also tried the nicolene potatoes and cauliflower seasoned with mustard seeds and garam masala which I enjoyed. The main meals were a good size, and left us sated without being too full. The highlight was the dahl - rich, smoky green lentils dressed with dried chilli.

To complement the main meal, there is a tasty range of all vegetarian side dishes, including an ever changing selection of pickles and chutneys (we tried jackfruit and mango), raita, naan and chapati.

For dessert, we couldn’t resist the jaggery “brulee”. This is actually a traditional Pakistani rice flour milk pudding called firni, but apparently no-one ordered it until they called it brulee. Go figure. The strong palm sugar sauce (jaggery) is helpfully served on the side, letting you moderate the dressing.

Oh Calcutta! is definitely a special occasion / somebody else is paying kind of restaurant. Entrees range between $11 - $14.60 and vegetarian mains range from $6.90 (dahl and kuchumber) to $20.90. Meat mains are more pricey, ranging up to $27.90 or $47.90 for a tasting menu. The wine list is good and extensive, albeit exxxy. All up, our meal came to around $100, including one entree, a set of four pickles and chutneys, two mains plus dahl, a dessert, and two glasses of wine.

Oh Calcutta! gets a VVV rating. While it is expensive, the food is of a high quality and the veggie dishes are considerably less expensive than the meat equivalents, which made me feel that I was paying for the cost of my meal and not subsiding carnivore diners. Oh Calcutta! has a good range of vegan and vegetarian food (especially for a fine dining restaurant) that could happily accommodate a mid-sized table of vegetarians. And a bonus point for the vegetarian dessert.

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