When one thinks of Kolkata’s food, either of the two things pop into the mind, the famous Bengali sweets or the spicy and tangy street food! The creative mix of various cuisines around the city streets leaves your mind boggled with the choices to make. Hence, to keep things simple and sorted for you, we have listed down the top 10 street food places you ought to visit to give your taste buds a rollercoaster ride of spices!
- Vivekananda Park : Now you don’t need to scratch your head wondering where to head to have ‘puchka’ the next time you visit the city. If there’s any place in the entire city where the puchkawalas literally compete to make the best puchkas, it is this. They make puchkas worth dying for! And not only this, as a bonus, you will get all the other cousins of the delicacy in the same stall like papri chaat, dum aloo puchka, dahi puchka and churmur.
- Tiwari Brothers : If you are the type of person who likes to have roadside tea with your friends at any given time of the day, Tiwari Brothers is your getaway. You will get the best Indian snacks here to complement your tea be it samosas, tikki chaat, kachori chaat, etc. The kulfi and emarti(a unique version of jalebi) available here are also worth a try.
- Dacre Lane or Dacre Street : All the popular food that you have ever heard about, from Chinese to Punjabi and the trade mark Bengali dishes, you will get it all here! Dacre Lane is like the wholesale market for food. Luchi aloo-dum, fish roll, puckha, jhaal muri, chowmein, Schezwan chicken, Ghughni, the list of the food you get here is never ending! A fun fact about Dacre lane is that its food is rated by WHO to be one of the Best Street Foods in the world! Yum!
- Rabindra Sadan Metro Exit : If you have crossed the area, you must have noticed that there is always an unreasonable amount of crowd flocked outside the metro exit of Rabindra Sadan. Ever wondered why? Its because of these amazing dumplings that you get here. Settled in the corner, there stands a small stall which provides breathtaking momos with piping hot soup and the perfect sauce. Accompanied with the low prices, it is the perfect definition of comfort food!
- Ganguram’s : Your experience of street food in Kolkata cannot be complete if you didn’t have the traditional ‘Kachori Sabzi’. Where else to be than the famous Ganguram’s! They offer one of the best kachoris or as they call ‘radhabollobis’ in the entire city. Usually accompanied with jalebi, you can also conclude the meal with some amazing mishti doi or other sweet delilcacies available there. I can assure you, you will leave the place with treating your tummy the best meal ever!
- Zaika, Park Street : Did you know the famous ‘Kathi Roll’ was originated in Kolkata? Kathi Rolls are basically a delicious stuffing wrapped in thin rotis which was originally invented in Zaika, a roadside shop in Park Street. Even though there have been variables and twists in the recipe of the kathi roll across different cities, you still get the original and authentic version at Zaika. This is that one dish you won’t want to miss out!
- New Market : If you are food hopping and haven’t been to New Market yet, your food hopping isn’t over! You will notice branded retail food joints smattered here and there but the real catch is the street food of this place. From roadside chaats to desi Chinese, the food is absolutely drool worthy! While you are there, don’t forget to try the amazing baked goods from Nahoum’s. Trying out the various kinds of lassi, ice creams, juices and milkshakes is a true joy! New Market is a haven for cheap food and you can never get enough of the place!
- Camas Street for Fruit Kulfi : Sometimes, we happen to encounter a nameless vendor who leaves a lasting impression on us through their food. The kulfiwallah which you will locate somewhere between Pantaloons and St. Xaviers on Camac Street is an example of the same sort. He is the most amazing Kulfiwallah you will ever come across. Despite a low key establishment, you will be amazed by the variety of Kulfis he keeps and after trying one of them you will feel the kulfi to be tailor-made for your tastebuds. Yes, its that perfect!
- Mayaram’s : Ever been through a craving for Pav Bhaji? I’m sure, for the pav bhaji lovers its a regular phenomena. So the next time you visit Kolkata and encounter one of these cravings, don’t hesitate and head on straight to Mayaram’s at Lord Sinha Road. They provide you with one of the best pav bhajis of the city and if you ever happen to even cross the street without a craving, you will find yourself surrendering to the fragrance of this heavenly Pav Bhaji, guaranteed!
- Balaram Mullick and Radharam Mullick : You didn’t think I would end my post without mentioning a sweet shop, did you? Kolkata is famous for its unique traditional sweets. With the irresistible Rossogulla, thick Mishti doi, Rasmalai, Payesh, the many varieties of Sandesh and the gigantic Rajbhog, it is impossible to not head on to a sweet shop while being in the city. Even though these sweets are found in all the sweetshops, Mullicks are like a leading brand among them and you will find the best version of all these sweets right here under one roof!