Kolkata’s coffee story has a new address in Bhowanipore, where Yours Truly Coffee Roasters has opened up at a restored 60-year-old bungalow with lawns, verandahs and long corridors. At 15,000 sq ft, it feels less like a café and more like a home for those who like to linger over a cup — and know what went into it.
For co-founder Prateek Didwania, coffee is no longer just a drink that arrives at the table. It’s everything that happens before that. “Most drinks come from the same basic elements: coffee, milk, water and foam. The difference is only in ratios and technique,” he says. “At Yours Truly, the focus is on helping people taste that difference clearly, without intimidation.”
The Ratnagiri light roast pour-over and the Cortado are two signature brews
And the difference shows the cup. The Ratnagiri light roast hot pour-over offers gentle floral notes and a hint of fig-like sweetness. The espresso is clean and confident, while the Cortado, with its balanced mix of milk and espresso, captures the idea of harmony in a cup.
The people behind the pour
Piyush Kankaria of The Yellow Straw joined hands with Prateek Diwania and Aditya Ladsaria of Chai Break to create Yours Truly
Yours Truly brings together three familiar names from Kolkata’s food and beverage scene — Prateek Didwania of Snacking and PICO, Piyush Kankaria of The Yellow Straw and Aditya Ladsaria of Chai Break. The partnership, Piyush says, began with a shared late-night ritual.
“Whenever I used to go back home, I would stop by Snacking late at night for my Americano. Prateek used to wonder who this person was, having Americanos at 10pm every day. That’s how we started talking,” Piyush recalls. “Over time, it became clear we shared the same dream — to build something for coffee lovers that goes beyond just another café.”
The Coffee Bar at Yours Truly is neat, clean and aesthetic
The space is spread across a lawn-level coffee bar, an in-house roasting zone, verandah seating and a first floor with quieter nooks for unhurried afternoons. The croissant, baked in-house, is light, flaky and best enjoyed warm, pairing beautifully with a pour-over or cortado.
Roasting at the centre
The star of Yours Truly isn’t the décor or the food — it’s the roaster. “The café began with the ordering of a roaster. That’s how central it is to what we do,” says Prateek. The machine sits in plain sight, a reminder that this is a coffee-first space.
The roaster is the heart and soul of Yours Truly
All the beans here are specialty grade, sourced directly from estates such as Ratnagiri, Kelachandra and Thogarihunkal, along with whisky-barrel and rum-aged beans from Harley’s. Six of the eight are roasted light, a deliberate choice that preserves each bean’s natural character.
“Medium or dark roasts work well for milk-based coffees like cappuccinos, but light roasts are where you discover the bean’s true personality — floral, fruity, earthy,” Prateek explains. “Our bestseller, the Ratnagiri light roast, has the aroma of rose and the sweetness of figs. It’s the kind of coffee you want to drink black.”
Coffee Concoctions like Spice Route and Cori & Co are drinks that will get non-coffee lovers raving Yours Truly
The café also offers experimental coffee concoctions like Spice Route, which blends espresso with cardamom, cinnamon and cloves, and Cori & Co, a refreshing mix of espresso, coriander and ginger topped with soda. Both drinks are striking examples of how Yours Truly plays with Indian flavours while keeping coffee at the core.
From coffee lover to coffee connoisseur
The Coffee Classroom is Prateek’s passion project finally coming to life
Upstairs, past the verandah seating, lies the Coffee Classroom — a hands-on space where Prateek wants people to learn brewing. “People are still confused between instant coffee, espresso or a pour-over. The Coffee Classroom is about simplifying that,” he says.
Sessions will take participants through everything from understanding green beans and roast profiles to brewing using pour-over, Aeropress, moka pot and siphon.
For Prateek, it’s also a personal journey. “A few years ago, I loved the end product. Now I love the process. I’ve started to fall in love with green beans, because that’s where the story really begins,” he says.
Steps, seats and a sense of place
Prateek Didwania at the step style seating, inspired from his B-school days
Even with its focus on technique, Yours Truly doesn’t forget that it’s also a place to unwind. The step style seating at the bungalow is a deliberate design feature, inspired by a favourite hangout from Prateek’s B-school days. “After a long day, that’s where you unwind. Just sit, talk, sip your coffee and let the day fade,” he says.
Inside, there are larger tables for groups, smaller corners for solo visitors and a private dining-style room that can host intimate events. The Gondhoraj Grilled Bekti, served over a cloud of panta bhaat mousse, is another standout — a dish that ties Bengal’s flavours to Yours Truly’s spirit of experimentation.
More than just coffee
Beyond the coffee, the bakery items at Yours Truly are also delectable
While coffee takes the lead, the bakery and kitchen hold their own. Developed with Lavonne Bakery Academy in Bengaluru and led by baker Sujata Newatia, the in-house counter turns out sourdoughs, croissants and desserts like the Tiramisu and the apple pie, designed to complement the brews rather than overshadow them.
For Prateek, Yours Truly marks a natural next step after Snacking and Pico. “I could have just built a bigger PICO, but that wouldn’t have challenged me. This is different. It’s for those who want to connect deeply with coffee, to appreciate the journey from bean to brew,” he says.
And if you’re wondering where to begin, he already has a suggestion: “Ask for the Ratnagiri light roast as a hot pour-over. It’s like a glass of rose water — only better.”