Kolkata Cuisine

The Bengali fondness for good food is legendary. Exotic Bengali cuisine is available at selected restaurants like Suruchi and Aheli (Peerless Inn). To experience the true taste of traditional cooking, it is best to befriend a Bengali. His hospitality will definitely include a meal!

Sweets hold a position of pride for the Bengali. Cottage cheese based sweets like sandesh, rosogolla and chanar payesh are very popular all over India. Misti doi (sweetened curd) and Patali gur confectionery (date palm jaggery) are must-try delicacies.


Every district in Bengal has a special sweet of its own. Langcha and mihidana-sitabhog of Bardhaman, sharbhaja of Krishnanagar, chanabora of Murshidabad and so on. Luchi, cholaar dal, kochuri and alurdom to chop-cutlet and telebhaja, Calcutta will delight the food lover.

Chinese cuisine is next on the popularity chart available in the Old China Town, the walled city at Tangra and restaurants on Park Street. Restaurants specializing in Mughal cuisine (tandoori, kebabs, biriyani etc.) are located in the backstreets of New Market and Park Circus. North Indian and the more sedate South Indian cuisine are available in restaurants all over the city.

Continental, Thai, Tibetian and Anglo-Indian cuisine are available in eating houses in and around Chowringhee and Park Street.

Special mention must be made about kathi-rolls (kebabs wrapped in dough), a culinary delight of Calcutta.

The confectionery of Calcutta are well known all over India. Flury’s (formerly Swiss owned) on Park Street, Nahoum’s (oldest Jewish bakery) in New Market are famous. Others are Uppu, Crust, Kathleen, Monginis, Jalajoga