Banana Leaf. — Restaurant in Kolkata

I used to dine here regularly. Recently I moved back to Kolkata after 4 years, and went there again. The food as usual is nice, for which I used to boast about everywhere. But the behaviour of the waiters is very unprofessional, arrogant, for no reason. They would just say anything that comes on their mind and don't feel guilty about it. The service is very slow, they would taunt the customers among themselves and make sure that the customers hear it.

Last time I went there, the waiter named Deepak behaved arrogantly, and I had to talk to the manager. Then it seemed waiters don't listen to the manager. After a while I had to say to the manager himself that "what kind of a manager are you, you have no control over your own staffs", just think about how irritated I would be that day? I as a customer go to dine outside to get a break from work, to have some peaceful atmosphere and come back recharged. If you are also like me, I would sincerely suggest this is not the place for you. Anytime you will be offended intentionally by the staffs and there will be no accountability afterwards from the restaurant. The waiters treat you as if you are children attending anganwadi schools for the mid day meal, and they are serving you to fight malnutrition. Lol. The waiters are completely ignorant about the intellectual level, educational standards and the financial position of their customers, neither they try to gauge the same from the way you talk, you dress, you behave.

I am a kind of person that does not ignore such things and I called the Head Office of Banana Leaf in Tamil Nadu and registered a complaint against the restaurant. They called me back and apologised for the worrying experience.

At the end I said politely, I am never going to see this restaurant again. The restaurant despite it's food is not worth your time and your hard...

Banana Leaf is an institution that really doesn't need any further introduction. This particular branch is situated at Komala Vilas hotel, about 5 minutes walk (towards Gariahat) from Kalighat metro along the footpath.

The place gives a truly southern feel & the energy & vibe you feel inside is organically close to an eatery you would actually find in Chennai. Homely, hygienic & clean, the food served is also tasty, filling & easy on the pocket. This is an A grade place that delivers exactly what it promises one hundred percent.

The question then becomes what is the reason for this very low rating. After our meal was over, we spotted that many young boys, some looking well under the age of 15, were working both in the serving area & in the back kitchen. Employing underage boys to work in your restaurant is against the law & can not be excused. Banana Leaf is a very well known establishment that absolutely doesn't need to bring themselves down to such a low level, for whatever reasons they might be. Sincerely hoping that this issue will be noted & addressed by the competent authorities.

Otherwise, such a meal like this just leaves a bad taste in your...

Edit : Visited on 12.04.24. They served us stale onion chutney. They did change the chutney however no apologies were given for the stale food served. Only explanation given was the heat in the kitchen which seemed valid. Add to that, the famous medu vada is no more my favourite here. The crispy nature is nowhere to be found. Only saving point was the masala dosa..seemed as usual. Also the service levels have dropped drastically. Served us water after 15 minutes of seating. No smiles on any of the servers whatsoever. Seems like management has changed hands. Have always preferred banana leaf over other veg only restaurants but time to move on I guess.

Authentic vegetarian south indian restaurant. They also have a small family hall to seat in. I have been to their lake market outlet. Unfortunately they do not take table reservations over phone. Which means one has to go there personally and wait if the tables are not empty. Usually slight rush during lunch hours. Heavy rush during peak seasons like south indian festivals onam,...