Kewpie’s: This is a bit like dining in someone’s home. The cosy Bengali restaurant is buried in a residential area, so is hard to find and there’s no sign outside. Its thalis provide a tour through the region’s best-loved, home-cooked curries, and end with a roll of chewing paan. Location: 2 Elgin Lane.

Mitra café: Mitra Cafe, a popular eatery in Calcutta that is known for its mouth-watering Kabiraji, was created by Shri Sushil Roy in 1920. From the assortment of scrumptious snacks and meals, it is a must-visit for every foodie. Specialties include Prawn Cutlet, Brain Chop, Fish Fry, Fish Roll, Pudding, Chicken Roast, and Mutton Egg Devil. There are multiple outlets in the city with the newest one in Salt Lake.

Indian coffee house: This coffeehouse is a legendary adda, having served generations of literary scholars and artists such as Rabindranath Tagore and Satyajit Ray. Order their cutlets and kabiraji (chicken fried in egg and breadcrumbs) with coffee or tea. Location: 15, Bankim Chatterjee St, College Street.

Kathi rolls and street food

Nizam’s: Go to Nizam’s for their kathi rolls. It is celebrated as the first Kolkata restaurant to serve kathi rolls, and Nizam’s still makes a good one. Location: Hogg Street, New Market Area.

Kusum rolls: This joint is known for their rolls. We recommend their double chicken and double mutton egg rolls. Location: 21, Park Street.

Bakeries:

Flury’s:

For a taste of old-world elegance, visit Flurys on Park Street. Established in 1927, this iconic tearoom is famous for its English breakfast, delectable pastries, and a wide range of teas and coffees. The charming décor and vintage vibe make it a beloved spot for Kolkata's elite. Location: 18, Park Street.

Kookie Jar: This bakery has several outlets in the city. The nut corners and chocolate boats are so good that you’ll be ordering more to take back home. Various locations.

Iconic restaurants:

Peter cat: No discussion of Kolkata's best restaurants would be complete without mentioning Peter Cat. This legendary eatery, located in Park Street, is renowned for its iconic Chelo Kebabs. The dimly lit interiors and old-world charm create a cozy atmosphere, making it a favored spot for locals and tourists alike. Location: 18A, Park Street.

Mocambo: This is one of Park Street’s finest offerings. Order the Chicken ala Kiev, the prawn cocktail and devilled crabs. They also do good whisky sours, gimlets and Bloody Marys. Location: 25B, Park Street.

Trincas: One of the popular spots is Trincas, continues to draw old-timers and travellers alike with occasional pub quizzes, comedy evenings, and jazz afternoons. It offers good quality continental and tandoori fare and plenty of cheap chilled beer. Location: 17, Park Street

Someplace else: Right next door to Trincas, is the The Park hotel. Its tiny English pub, Someplace Else, is a beacon to live music in the city. There is a fabulous band playing here on any given day of the week, filling the air with riffs of rock ‘n’ roll, jazz, and blues Location: 17, Park Street.

Kwality: The pindi chana and the chicken reshmi kebab which you get in Kwality are unlike any other place in Kolkata. The kebabs, which come packed with finely cut coloured onion which just melts in your mouth. Location: 17, Park Street

For Lovers of chinese food:

Bar-B-Q: If its old-school, Indian-Chinese food that you’re looking for, any Calcuttan will tell you that Bar-B-Q is the undisputed leader in Chinese cuisine. The gravy noodles, fried rice, hot and sour soup, drums Of heaven (chicken lollypop for the rest of India) and spring rolls are just some of their must have items. Location: 43, 47, 55, Park Street Kolkata

Tangra: Kolkata has a sizeable Chinese population that has called the city home for generations now, and the Chinese quarter of Tangra teems with glorious aromas of food every night. Feast at the roadside stalls and iconic restaurants like Golden Joy, and Beijing. Location: Tangra.

For biriyani lovers:

Arsalan: Hit this spot for Kolkata biryani. There are outlets across the city, including one in New Town. Various locations.

Aminia: Head here for great biryani and firni. Various locations.

Royal Indian Hotel: It all started in 1905, when Ahmed Hussain, a descendant of Nawab Wazid Ali Shah, a migrant from Lucknow came to Kolkata and opened a small restaurant on the ground floor of a hotel. Today that’s where you still get one of the best biriyani’s in Kolkata – Royal er Biriyani. Location: 147, Rabindra Sarani, Bortola, Barabazar Market.

For traditional Bengali sweets (Mishti)

Nalin chandra das and sons has been serving the most delicious Kolkata sweet treats for over 175 years. Nalin Chandra Das is now a well-established brand and is widely regarded as the pioneer in making Sandesh. Don’t miss out on the mouthwatering Karapak and Chocolate Sandesh.

Girish chandra dey & nakur chandra nandy: With over 40 varieties of Sandesh on offer, to this shop has been in existence since 1844. Don’t miss their Jolbhora (a shondesh with a shot of date palm jaggery inside it) and Abar Khabo (literally translated as – ‘Once more’ – this is a combination of cottage cheese, sugar, kesar and nuts). Location: 56, Ramdulal Sarkar St, Azad Hind Bag, Hedua Park.

Balaram M & Radha Raman Mullick

Serving happiness since 1880, this sweet shop is famous for its baked rasgullas, mango flavoured mishti doi and kheer kodom – a sweetened khoya dumpling stuffed with a rasgulla. Multiple locations.