India, June 26 -- It's the midday meal rush in Sienna Cafe, Kolkata, an establishment well-known for its bazaar-to-table menu and its use of local ingredients with a global imagination. But what I love most about the place, that opened in 2015, is where it's located.

"Before it became home base for the Sienna family, the house at 49/1 Hindustan Park used to be the residence of Nihar Bala Devi, built in 1933, and passed on through three generations of women to her grandchildren," says Shiuli Ghosh, owner of Sienna. "Although it was in need of some serious r&r, the almost 90-year-old house had a lot of character. Sienna has undergone several transformations through the years, but we have tried to stay true to the original essence of the sp...