Top 10 Bengali Restaurants in Kolkata you Must Try — The Lens Lady
Bengal’s love of food is well known throughout the world. A Bengali Cuisine is packed with a variety of flavorful dishes that go far beyond macch and aloo poshto. In this article, we tried to list out the top 12 Bengali restaurants in Kolkata, where you can enjoy authentic, delicious Bengali cuisine. Many of the Restaurants in Kolkata have opened branches all over India. Seafood lovers will really love Bengali cuisine with a variety of seafood preparation. To take full advantage of your dining experience, remember how Bengalis eat their food to retain the subtle tastes -vegetarian dishes first, followed by fish, then meat and Misti Doi, Chatni, and Sweets. So, let’s start with our list.
Top 12 Bengali Restaurants in Kolkata
6 Ballygunge Place was established in 2003 when the city did not have a single restaurant serving Bengali exclusive cuisine. Original one Located in the former Rai Bahadur’s bungalow in upscale Ballygunge. Its dishes have been created from the Pragya Sundari Devi Early Bengali Cookbook, with references from Vaishnav literature, under Chef Sushanta Sengupta all available resources are researched. The restaurant has been awarded numerous awards from prestigious organizations since 2003.
Address: 6 Ballygunge Place, Ballygunge, Kolkata. Also at DD 31 A, Sector 1, Salt Lake, Kolkata.
Phone: (33)2460–3922
What’s to try: Pabda Macher Jhal (spicy fish curry, prepared with mustard paste and poppy seeds), Dab Chingri (a melt-in-the-mouth preparation of prawns roasted inside the tender coconut), and the traditional Kasha Mangsho. Traditional vegetarian dishes, such as Doi Potoal, Bati Chocchori, and many more to try.
Cost: A meal of about 1,000–1,200 rupees for two at this mid-range restaurant. For a true feast, have a lunch and dinner buffet.
Oh! Calcutta in every way has exceeded the expectations of everyone. During this pandemic, they take extra care of hygiene and give you a safe atmosphere to dine in and enjoy your meal. There is also a private dining area. It aims to recreate dishes selected through painstaking research from traditional old-style Bengali recipes. You can now find this award-winning, fine dining restaurant in major cities across India. If you have money to splurge on eating out, you will not be frustrated with Oh! Calcutta.
Address: Forum Mall, 10/3 Elgin Road, Lala Lajpat Rai Sarani, Kolkata and on 3rd Floor, Silver Arcade, 5 JBS Halden Avenue, T-1, T-2 (EM Bypass), Kolkata.
Phone: (33)2283–7161
What’s to try: You must try Bhapa Hilsa (steamed Hilsa fish), Smoked Bhetki (smoked Bhekti fish) Gonghoraj Bhetki, Calcutta Mutton Biryani, Mutton Kosha are legendary.
Cost: About 2,000 rupees for two people.
Aaheli is the place to experience the authentic and traditional Bengali food of the elite. It has been serving authentic Bengali cuisine for decades, an elegant and iconic fine dining, and is popular with both local and foreign visitors. The food is served in an authentic Bengali style.
The atmosphere is enhanced by live Bengali music and waiters dressed in traditional clothes. Please note that there is no alcohol in the restaurant. But Aaheli has a subsidiary in Axis Mall, New Town, where they serve alcohol. Located on the first floor of The Peerless Inn Kolkata, Aaheli is open from 12 to 3 p.m. for lunch and from 730 to 1030 p.m. for dinner. One of the best Bengali Restaurants in Kolkata.
Address: 12, Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Esplanade, Dharmatala, Taltala, Kolkata
Phone: (cell) 9903034456
What’s to try: Chingri Malaikari (prawns in coconut milk curry), Rui Macher Patishapta (fish crepes), Kosha Mangsho, Hilsa Bhape, and Paturi a must-try during the season. Hilsa is served with and without bones.
Cost: About 2,000 rupees for two people
If you’re in a hurry and want to taste authentic Bengali cuisine at a reasonable price, then you should go for the tasty Bengali cooking at Bhojohori Manna. This restaurant chain started its operation in March 2003. The name Bhojohori and was chosen from a popular Bengali film song. The humorous song “Ami Sri Sri Bhojohori Manna…” is all about the chef, returning home in a distinct culinary style. And you’re sure to find one in proximity with outlets across Kolkata. The service has a distinct Bengali flavor in all the restaurants in the chain. The menu is similar with a few exceptions to the standard and some exotic variations, for fish items. The quality of the food is reasonably good and consistent since the central kitchen serves the main cuisine for the entire chain of restaurants in Kolkata.
Address: 18/1A, Hindustan Road, Gariahat. Other branches at Ekdalia Road, Salt Lake Sectors I & V, Star Theatre (Hatibagan), Esplanade, and Ruby (Kasba Industrial Estate).
Phone: : (33)2466–3941
What’s to try: Kosha Mangsho (spicy mutton curry),Daab Chingri (coconut and mustard prawn curry), Fish Curry and Bhojohorir Thala.
Cost: About 600 rupees for two people.
The Kasturi Restaurant, which served the authentic Dhakai Bangladeshi cuisine in the heart of Kolkata, is an ancient Bangladeshi place and one of the best dining places in the city. Kasturi is an award-winning, but a cheap option for typical Bangladeshi food full of fresh river fish and bhartas. The restaurant was founded in 1994 and the pioneer of Bangladeshi Dhakai cuisine in the city. Ignore restaurant interior decoration, the food is what counts there. The restaurant is open to diners from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and remains closed for three hours. Kasturi opens for dinner at 7 p.m. and welcomes its guests until 10 p.m. One of the best Bengali Restaurants in Kolkata.
Address: New Market Area,7A Mustaque Ahmed Street,Kolkata. They have branches in Ballygunge and Hindustan Road as well.
Phone: (cell) 8334922221; 9748906025.
What’s to try : The signature dish, Kochu Bhapa Chingri (shrimps cooked in colocasia leaves), Hilsa in Mustard Gravy.
Cost: About 600 rupees for two people
Saptapadi Restaurant, one of the best Bengali food restaurants in Kolkata, offering the best flavors of Bengali Food. This relatively new and memorable Bengali food restaurant is named after the famous 1961 Bengali romantic drama starring Suchitra Sen and Uttam Kumar. Its decor, featuring still movies and old portraits of the stars, reflects the theme. Soft romantic music from the Bengali movies also plays in the background. The restaurant was created in 2011 by two Chefs of Luxury Hotels (Ranjan Biswas and Swarup Mondal). The menu combines traditional fusion dishes with innovative ones.
Address: G40A Bagha Jatin, near Ganguli Bagan Post Office, Jadavpur, Kolkata and 49B Purna Das Road, Hindustan Park, near Gariahat, Kolkata
Phone: (cell) 9831611210 / 9007912433.
What’s to try: Signature dishes that are liked by Uttam Kumar, Kacha Lanka Mangsho (mutton in coriander gravy), Avinavo Mangsho, Macher Jhuri, Fry Chili Morola, Avinobo Murgi.
Cost: 1,000 rupees for two people.
If you’re planning to try something different, try Bohemian’s contemporary Bengali fusion food. Originally a 30-seater space has now expanded to 75 and serves contemporary Bengali cuisine. Chief Joy Bannerjee, who previously served as Chief Chef at Oh! Calcutta uses Bengali spices and flavors. The food has culinary influences from all the communities that have established colonies in the region — Jews, Armenians, Portuguese, English, Dutch, and French. These rulers have left an indelible mark on the culture and cuisine of Bengal. Bohemian combines local produce and traditional flavors with these foreign culinary influences.
Address: 32/4 Old Ballygunge 1st Lane, Kolkata.
Phone: (33)6460–1001.
What’s to try: Royal Bengal roast mutton, baked crab with kalmi saag and cheese, daab chingri dynamites, and cauliflower and mustard pudding tempered with tender coconut and Darjeeling chilies.
Cost: About 1,800 rupees for two people.
Born out of a deep passion for cooking and a love for genuine Bengal cuisine, the owners have turned their house’s ground floor into a restaurant. On a lane near South City Mall, Lokaahar opened its doors in October 2015. It’s one of the many new Bengali restaurants in Calcutta, and it’s one of the best, indeed. The restaurant is notable for its rustic rural theme, apart from the delicious food. The owners have focused on highlighting rural life and promoting craftsmen from the various districts of Bengal by selling their craft. The menu is also based on dishes found in the far reaches of the Bengal region. Best of all, this is budget-friendly.
Address: Prince Anwar Shah Road, 533 Jodhpur Park, Kolkata.
Phone: 96740 89993 (cell)
What’s to try: Mutton Dak Bunglow, Mocha Chingri, Posto Bora, Dhokar Dalna, Chandana Kheer,.
Cost: Around 400 rupees for two.
Koshe Kosha gives you a complete Bengali dining experience. The Bengali word ‘kosha,’ translates to meat cooked with spices for a long time. The atmosphere will give you a glimpse of a typical rural Bengali house, with walls decorated with paintings of numerous legends from Bengal. The ceiling, the wooden floor, and the beautifully designed furniture help to create a lovely atmosphere with authenticity.
Address: 62, Ballygunge Gardens, Golpark, Kolkata.
Phone: 098309 49494 (cell)
What’s to try: Chingri Malaikari, a curry made with prawns and coconut milk as well as Kosha Mangsho, which is tenderized mutton with dark gravy cooked the Bengali way.
Cost: Around 600 rupees for two.
Not the only reason people go to Free School Street is a Bangladeshi food restaurant like Kasturi. The popular Bangla Joint The Bhoj Company (opposite the headquarters of the Art Deco-style Fire Brigade) draws people to that area for its excellent cuisine of Bengali and Dhakai. The atmosphere is calm and very Bengali. They play soothing Rabindra Sangeet that is pleasing to the ears with decent interior decoration. This is the original one and at Dalhousie, they have another bigger outlet. The food is affordable, super authentic, and generous.
Address: 30A Free School Street, New Market Area, Mirza Ghalib Street, Kolkata.
Phone: (33)4006–6003.
What’s to try: Chingri Machher Malai Curry, Kochu Pata Diye Ilish Bhapa, and Bhetki Paturi.
Cost: About 600 rupees for two people.
Hope you like our article on Top 10 Bengali Restaurants in Kolkata. If you have any suggestions or like to add new restaurants to this list please comment.
Originally published at https://thelenslady.com on December 22, 2020.