5 of Kolkata’s Most Iconic Eateries

Kolkata- The City of Joy! As The name suggests, it is truly a city that will fill your heart with joy and an array of wonderful emotions. Not only joy, but this wonderful city also fills you up with emotions of pride and nostalgia in our rich culture, heritage, literature and art in every nook and corner of it. One thing that brings it all together is the eateries and cafes of Kolkata. 

The city is home to a number of age-old, legendary restaurants or cabins that keep cabin culture pretty prominent in Kolkata, even to this date. The simple & vintage seating arrangement accompanied by quick chatter and the sound of crunchy, piping hot snacks and food is what keeps this culture alive. We took a day off and explored some of the best and must try legendary eateries in Kolkata. Take a look!

1Basanta Cabin

Established in the year 1931- this cabin still holds a very special place in the heart of the people. When in Kolkata, trying out Fish Kabiraji from Basanta Cabin is a must, this place has history smeared with nostalgia in every nook and corner and if you really want to get the true essence of the cabin culture in Kolkata then you cannot skip this place. Infact, it is said that Basanta Cabin was actually the place from where the famous Bengali dish, Fish Kabiraji came into existence. The then head chef of the Basanta Cabin, took up the challenge to impress Kobiguru- Rabindranath Tagore, after the poet expressed his dislike for the usual recipe. Trying out a new way and switching the usual biscuit coating with eggs, he came up with a legendary dish, which has since been the most popular one across all cabins in the city.

Location: 53, College St, near medical college, Lalbajar, College Square

2Indian Coffee House

This century-old eatery in town is the adda (chilling) hub for people of all age-groups in the city. From its very inception, this place has been successful in creating a dedicated fan base of its own. Serving more than thousand cups of coffee, with a side of nostalgia everyday, this place holds a handful of memories and memorable instances from the past, in fact the legendary singer Manna Dey dedicated a whole song to this place. Indian coffee house has kept its old vintage decor, rustic ceilings and wooden table chairs, everything the same in order to keep the authenticity of the place alive. The liveliness and charm of this place along with pocket friendly delicious food is what draws customers to Indian Coffee House again and again. 

Location: 15, Bankim Chatterjee St, College Square West, College Street

3Trincas Restaurant

The place where once the legendary singer, Usha Utthup performed- Trincas has been a go-to place for the people of this city as well as many celebrities since ages now. In fact it is said that every true-blue Kolkata family has a story about Trincas as its a place that has been famous for generations as one of the best places to eat in Kolkata. If you are looking for a place where the food and music duo does its magic reflecting the history and keeping alive the legacy of the place, then Trincas is exactly where you should be heading to. From craft coffees to delicious Indian, Chinese and Continental delicacies, at Trincas you can enjoy it all with a side of some vintage Kolkata vibes! 

Location: 17, Park St, near Oxford Book Store, Park Street area

4Olypub

What do the people of Kolkata do when it’s almost the weekend and they’ve had a long tough week at work! Well, they just hop into Olypub with their squad and order some beer and snacks you can get your hands on.  A bite of the fish fingers and legendary Chicken Ala Kiev, a must try at Oly pub will make you forget all about woes. This legendary pub in town has been serving pocket friendly booze with good food for ages now.  Keeping the quality of the food top notch since day 1, this place has kept its ambience and vibe perfectly intact over the years. It is this vintage and homely charm which makes it even more appealing to the tourists or the regular customers in general. 

Location: 21, Park St, Taltala

5Peter Cat

One of the oldest and most popular eateries in the Park Street area – Peter Cat has been in the business since 1975. While this non-vegetarian’s paradise is known for many dishes, the universal favorite is a unique Chelo Kebab. Their Chelo Kebab Platter which is a combination of buttered rice, poached eggs, grilled kebabs and veggies is so popular and unique that you will often see customers queuing up just to try out this dish. On days like New Year’s eve, the demand for Chelo Kebab. 

Location: Stephen Court Building, 18 A, Park St

We know that the mention of these delicious places has got you intrigued in the delicious food culture of Kolkata. So don’t forget to follow Things2doinKolkata on Instagram for more regular updates from the city of joy

by Antara Mukherjee

Content Writer at Things2do