OoruBest places to eat in Kolkata
Pet pujo, "worship of the stomach", is how Kolkata talks about eating well. This guide maps how the city eats, by kind of food rather than star ratings: Bengali meals, Mughlai biryani and rezala, rolls and cabin snacks, the old restaurants of Park Street, Chinatown, and sweet shops that have been open for well over a century. Each place lists what to order and a local tip.
Bengali Meals
6 Ballygunge Place
Ballygunge · Mixed · Mid to upper
Order: Thali, bhetki paturi, hilsa in season
The thali is the best introduction to Bengali food. Book on weekends.
Kasturi
Shakespeare Sarani · Non-veg · Mid
Order: Shorshe ilish, bhetki paturi, kosha mangsho
Bangladeshi-style Bengali cooking. Lunch is when the kitchen is freshest.
Bhojohori Manna
Ekdalia & branches · Mixed · Mid
Order: The seasonal special, luchi with chholar dal
Named after a much-loved Manna Dey song. Ask for the day's special and expect a crowd.
Suruchi
Elliot Road · Mixed · Budget
Order: The day's home-style lunch
In the grounds of the All Bengal Women's Union, serving simple Bengali lunches at very fair prices.
Oh! Calcutta
Forum Mall, Elgin Road · Mixed · Mid to upper
Order: Seasonal seafood, Bengali thali
Polished Bengali dining. Booking is a good idea.
Biryani, Rezala & Mughlai
Royal Indian Hotel
Chitpur Road · est. 1905 · Non-veg · Budget to mid
Order: Mutton biryani, chaap
One of the city's oldest Mughlai kitchens. Go early: dishes sell out.
Arsalan
Park Circus & branches · Non-veg · Mid
Order: Mutton biryani, chaap
Expect a queue at peak hours. The chaap is excellent with the biryani.
Shiraz Golden Restaurant
Park Circus · Non-veg · Budget to mid
Order: Mutton biryani, mutton rezala
Order one biryani and one rezala, and share.
Aminia
Near New Market & branches · Non-veg · Budget to mid
Order: Biryani, rezala, chaap
An old favourite for a meal after shopping at New Market.
Rolls, Cabins & Street Food
Nizam's
Near New Market · est. 1932 · Non-veg · Budget
Order: Egg chicken roll, kebabs
Widely credited with inventing the kathi roll. Order at the counter and eat it standing outside.
Kusum Rolls
Park Street · Non-veg · Budget
Order: Egg chicken roll
A busy counter on Park Street, good for a roll between other stops.
Chitto Babur Dokan
Dacres Lane, Esplanade · Non-veg · Budget
Order: Chicken stew with toast, fish cutlet
An office-goers' breakfast stop: the stew and toast are a morning thing.
Mitra Cafe
Shyambazar · Non-veg · Budget
Order: Fish kabiraji, kochuri with alur tarkari at breakfast
A classic North Kolkata "cabin" restaurant. Go before 10 AM for the breakfast kochuri.
Anadi Cabin
Esplanade · Non-veg · Budget
Order: Mughlai paratha
The Mughlai paratha, a stuffed and fried flatbread, is the dish to order.
Vivekananda Park puchka
Vivekananda Park, south Kolkata · Veg · Budget
Order: Puchka, churmur
Kolkata puchka is tangier than other cities' pani puri. Go in the evening.
Park Street & Old Kolkata
Peter Cat
Park Street · est. 1975 · Non-veg · Mid
Order: Chelo kebab
Order the chelo kebab on your first visit. Book for weekends; weekday lunches are easier.
Mocambo
Park Street · est. 1956 · Non-veg · Mid to upper
Order: Devilled crab, prawn cocktail
A time capsule of old Park Street. Come for a long lunch.
Flurys
Park Street · est. 1927 · Mixed · Mid
Order: English breakfast, rum balls, pastries
A tearoom institution for a slow breakfast.
Trincas
Park Street · Mixed · Mid to upper
Order: Continental dishes, drinks
Come in the evening for the live band.
Indian Coffee House
College Street · Mixed · Budget
Order: Coffee, cutlets
The city's most famous adda spot, upstairs from the College Street bookshops. Stay for hours.
Chinatown
Tiretti Bazaar breakfast stalls
Tiretti Bazaar, central Kolkata · Non-veg · Budget
Order: Dumplings, buns, soups
An early-morning tradition of the old Chinese community, smaller than it once was. Go early, ideally on a Sunday.
Tung Nam Eating House
Tiretti Bazaar · Non-veg · Budget
Order: Dumplings, noodle soup
A tiny family-run place in the old Chinatown.
Tangra
East Kolkata · Non-veg · Mid
Order: Chilli chicken, Hakka noodles
Home to the city's Hakka Chinese community and its Indian-Chinese restaurants. Go for dinner with a group.
Mishti & Bakeries
Bhim Chandra Nag
Bowbazar · est. 1826 · Veg · Budget
Order: Ledikeni, sandesh, mishti doi
Credited with the ledikeni, a sweet named after Lady Canning.
Girish Chandra Dey & Nakur Chandra Nandy
Ramdulal Sarkar Street, North Kolkata · est. 1844 · Veg · Budget
Order: Sandesh
Sandesh is what they do, in many seasonal flavours. Nolen gur (date palm jaggery) sandesh appears in winter.
Balaram Mullick & Radharaman Mullick
Bhowanipore & branches · est. 1885 · Veg · Budget to mid
Order: Sandesh, mishti doi
Good for gift boxes. Try whatever seasonal sandesh is on the counter.
KC Das
Esplanade & branches · Veg · Budget
Order: Rosogolla, rasmalai
Run by the family of Nobin Chandra Das, who is credited with the spongy rosogolla. Buy a tin to take home.
Nahoum's
New Market · est. 1902 · Mixed · Budget to mid
Order: Plum cake, cheese samosa, macaroons
A Jewish bakery inside New Market. At Christmas the queue for plum cake is long.
Putiram
College Street · Veg · Budget
Order: Kochuri with chholar dal, sweets
A breakfast stop near the College Street bookshops.
Questions people ask
Why does Kolkata biryani have a potato in it?
Kolkata biryani is lighter on spice than other styles and comes with a soft potato, and often an egg. The usual story links it to Wajid Ali Shah, the last Nawab of Awadh, who was exiled to Kolkata in 1856, though food historians argue about the details.
Where can I eat the best kathi roll in Kolkata?
Nizam's near New Market, open since 1932, is widely credited with inventing the kathi roll, and Kusum Rolls on Park Street is a favourite for egg chicken rolls. Order at the counter and eat it hot.
Where should I eat Bengali food in Kolkata?
6 Ballygunge Place and Kasturi are good for a full spread, Bhojohori Manna for home-style dishes, and Suruchi on Elliot Road for simple, inexpensive lunches. Try bhetki paturi, shorshe ilish when hilsa is in season, and kosha mangsho.
Which are the oldest sweet shops in Kolkata?
Bhim Chandra Nag in Bowbazar dates to 1826 and is linked to the ledikeni, Girish Chandra Dey & Nakur Chandra Nandy has made sandesh since 1844, and Balaram Mullick & Radharaman Mullick dates to 1885. For rosogolla, KC Das is the famous name.
What is the Chinese breakfast at Tiretti Bazaar?
Early in the morning, a few stalls near Tiretti Bazaar in central Kolkata sell dumplings, buns and soups, a tradition of the city's old Chinese community. It is smaller than it once was, so go early, ideally on a Sunday.
More in our guides: our Kolkata city guide, survival Bengali phrases and events in Kolkata this weekend.