As a devoted epicure based in Calcutta, winter transforms me into a seeker of comfort and meaning through food. With the season’s chill sharpening appetites and markets brimming with fresh produce, the city’s breakfast tables take on a special significance. Like a detective retracing familiar trails, I revisit Calcutta’s legendary morning food stops — some over two centuries old — believing, as I always have, that breakfast nourishes not just the body but the soul. And here’s the delightful entropy of breakfast food options in Calcutta:
Mughlai/Awadhi
This winter, if you are wondering about a place to try that is slightly outside the regular, consider the all-new breakfast fare at Shiraz Golden Restaurant. Locals are already familiar with its delicious-to-the-last-morsel food but not many are aware that this place has a well spread-out breakfast menu as well. The items on offer cover preferred Mughlai winter delights plus the regular toast-eggs-chai-coffee that have remained hot breakfast favourites in Calcutta over the years. Shiraz Golden’s winter specials include a variety of mutton dishes — Mutton Paya, Mutton Nihari, Mutton Kalla, Magaz, Zabaan Masala — as well as Chicken Chana Curry and Chicken Stew. You can take your pick of Aloo, Onion, or Paneer parathas, all hot off the tawa, and enjoy them with the usual accompaniments of plain curd, pickles and onion rings. We had a rich and luxurious Mutton Nihari, followed by Keema Puri, and then washed down our spread with some freshly brewed chai. The breakfast menu is available from 6am–10am and the legacy of Awadhi cuisine and Shiraz’s legendary goodwill is well carried forward through its breakfast.
Mezban Restaurant on Ripon Street is owned by Mohammed Syed Shamim. When we stopped by, the restaurant’s manager, Jiyaul Sheikh, chatted up with us on its history and special cuisine. Mezban is a 35-year-old restaurant that has a loyal customer base. From tourists to the immigrant Afghani population, locals to food connoisseurs, they all come to Mezban for the winter breakfast fare. Specialties for winter breakfast include Mutton Nihari and Paya. Mutton Dal Gosth, Mutton Keema, Mutton Stew, Dal Puri and Tandoori Roti are on offer for breakfast through the year. Undeterred by the seemingly heavy menu, diners tuck in happily as it is healthy and fulfilling besides keeping you charged all through the day. We tried Mutton Paya, Nihari, and Dal Puri. Mezban has two outlets, one on Ripon Street, while the other one is on Shakespeare Sarani. Their kitchens open as early as 5am and breakfast is ready by 6am.
Chinese
Ah Yung Eating House, a new kid on the block at Tangra (opposite Chinese Kali temple) was founded by Li Kuo Jung, the patriarch of the family. On our visit we spoke to Li Kit Sen, his son. The family originally migrated from Moyang that lies two hours from Hong Kong. After Independence, the grandfather migrated to Calcutta and settled in Bowbazar. He was initially involved in small-scale trading, and import and export of meats and supplies. Then, he started a leather business and went on to build his own tannery. The restaurant, however, was started by Li Kuo Jung. It offers a limited regular breakfast menu but some special items require one-day pre-order to ensure fresh ingredients. Special dishes include Moon Wonton (mixed fish, prawn, chicken, vegetables), Sichuan Chicken, Steamed Fish, Steamed Chicken to name a few. On our visit we tried Wonton Noodle Pork, Country Chilli Chicken, and Fish Ball Soup. This restaurant opens at 7am for breakfast.
Tiretta Bazaar first finds mention in Upjohn’s map of Calcutta in 1790, and other historical records show that the bazaar possibly got its name after Edward Tiretta, an Italian living in Calcutta who owned the bazaar and several plots of land in the city. Tangra may be the most well-known Chinatown in India, but Calcutta’s Tiretta Bazaar has the distinction of being the very first. The city, after all, is one of the few places in the world that can boast of having not one, but two distinct Chinatowns. Every day the streets of Tiretta Bazaar in central Calcutta are filled with vendors selling fresh vegetables and fruits, not unlike any other local bazaar in the city.
The breakfast here opens as early as 6am and gets over by 8.30am latest. Some staple items are Fish Ball Soup, baos, crispy wontons, and sui mais. What did we try? Well, some Prawn Sui Mai, Chicken Sui Mai, Fish Ball Soup, and Pork Bao. Sadly because of the shrinking Chinese population we didn’t find much of the Chinese families selling breakfast, though there were a handful of them still thriving; and to my surprise, I was greeted by Jai Maa Tara Chinese Breakfast kiosk selling sui mais.
Bengali
The history of Adi Haridas Modak dates back over two centuries. Established around 1770 by Satyendranath Das Modak, the shop initially served as a humble eatery catering to the local community. Over the years, it gained a reputation for its piping hot kachoris and chholar dal, which became synonymous with authentic Bengali breakfast. Adi Haridas Modak is famous not only for its food but also for its nostalgic value. The shop has been serving traditional Bengali breakfast in an authentic setting for more than 250 years. Many renowned figures from history, such as Rani Rashmoni and Girish Chandra Ghosh, have visited the shop, and their photographs still adorn the walls. The use of banana leaf plates and the old-world charm of wooden tables and benches enhance the experience. On our visit we had kochuri with chholar dal and doi. Adi Haridas Modak is located at Shyambazar 5 Point Crossing and opens at 8am for breakfast.
On our visit to Sree Hari Mistanna Bhandar, we spoke to Subroto Guin from the Guin family, fourth generation in the business. Established in 1912, many freedom fighters like Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, Ashutosh Mukherjee as well as Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose were patrons. Kochuri, dal and lyangcha are signature items of this shop in Bhowanipore, right opposite Bhowanipore Police Station. Customers have praised their Kamala Bhog, Kheer Kadam, and Malai Chom Chom for their delightful flavours. The corner eatery on one of the busiest streets of Calcutta dons a pious look with old sepia-toned images of Gods hanging from the wall, with idols of Ganesh in different corners. A freshly fried batch of kochuris greets you as you wait for your plate.
Marwari
Kona Dukan near the Calcutta Stock Exchange was set up 77 years ago. It is run by brothers Mukund and Guddu Anand Singh, the fourth-generation owners of the street stall.
The shop has been serving a crispy and creamy, malai-topped toast and a slurpy thick kesar chai for decades. Mukund’s great-grandfather came to Calcutta from Bihar and set up Kona Dukan in 1945. The corner shop ran for six decades without a name and yet garnered massive goodwill among loyal patrons. Mukund entered the business in 2017 and named it Kona Dukan. The original items and malai toast continue to reign supreme, attracting people from all over the city. The shop’s fare has travelled to Germany, Italy and Bangkok for serving and catering at various outstation weddings. It opens at 5am and continues till 8.30 at night. We had malai toast, kesar chai and lassi. Kona Dukan is located at Lyons Range, behind Writers Building.
Hindi Heartland
Litti Chokha Bhootnath or Shankar Littiwala located between Nimtala ghat and Ahiritola Ghat almost never runs out of customers and there are days when the staff don’t have an idle moment. The place is currently run by Dheeraj Shaw, a fourth-generation owner. An extensive puja is performed before the shop that opens every morning at 8.30am and stays open till midnight. Dheeraj’s grandfather, Mewalal, started this business somewhere around 1970 and his father Shankar Shaw made the business popular among the locals. This shop claims to be the birthplace of litti in Calcutta. The litti that they serve doesn’t have ginger, garlic, onion, tamarind and eggplant in it, it is made with roasted gram flour, mixed with coriander, salt and a special home-made spice mix. Sinfully dipped in ghee, these broken pieces of joy can be savoured with aloo chokha and a green chutney.
South Indian
To savour an authentic South Indian breakfast, we stopped at Rao’s Udipi Home and found Ashok Rao, who was happy to share the details of the restaurant with us. Rao’s Udipi Home was started way back in 1969, as one of the oldest South Indian breakfast dens in south Calcutta. Even today, the restaurant starts serving breakfast from as early as 7am. The fresh and fluffy idlis and crisply fried vadas, upma and pongal, are must-try items. Rao’s Udipi Home is located behind Lake Market.
The ‘Brown Sahib’s breakfast’
Radhu Babu, snuggling near Lake Market, is nearly a century old. Even in the early hours of the morning, there is a long serpentine queue of customers waiting to get their favourites of tea, omelette, and toast before they run out. Famed musicians Shyamal Mitra and R.D. Burman often came down to Radhu Babu themselves, thanks to its immense popularity and great food. Till this day, most early morning-walkers in the Lake area can be found frequenting Radhu Babu. The breakfast time is between 6am and 10am, beyond which they remain open for other items on their menu.
Shiladitya Chaudhury is a communication consultant and a restaurateur with brands like Oudh 1590, Chapter 2, and Chaudhury & Company. His passion for wildlife photography, food and exploring the world takes him to the remotest of places.