Kolkata bars welcome back tipplers after lockdown-induced dry spell

The restaurant and musical performance venue is a landmark in the city's original party hub, Park Street, with history dating back to before World War II

What happens when you fish out cash to pay at the popular pub and brewery The Grid at Topsia in the old Chinatown of Kolkata? The waiter, who is armed to the teeth with variations of sanitisers and shields, takes out one that sprays light mist and renders the currency safe for transaction.

Sanitising booths, regular temperature checks of waiters and customers, sanitiser mist-spewing chimneys, plastic shields dividing bars and customers or separating tables — scenes at the favourite watering holes on day one of serving alcohol after the lockdown-induced dry spell appeared to haul a city famed for its