Calcutta, celebrated for its sweets and street food, has another underrated F&B culture — sherbets, or to pronounce it the Bong way, “shorbot”. Especially during the summer afternoons, there’s no such house where people don’t return to a refreshing aam porar shorbot (roasted mango sherbet) or doi er ghol (a curd beverage). My memory reverts to my childhood days, returning from school all drenched in sweat, galloping merrily upstairs for ma’s perfectly made lebur shorbot (lime-honey sherbet) and sometimes, bel er shorbot (wood apple sherbet). Today, these traditional beverages are declining in popularity against competition from cold coffees and affogatos, but once sherbets were quintessential summer drinks equivalent to every other meal of the day. As summer is at its peak, a teetotaler like me has to find solace in the good old classic sherbets. And here I stroll through the nooks and crannies of Calcutta, returning to the same old sherbet shops that remain untainted in flavours and essence over decades!
Kapila Ashram
206 Bidhan Sarani (Sreemani Market area)
This humble sherbet stall, one of Calcutta’s oldest, dates back to 1907, dishing out not just drinks, but nostalgia too, for the past 118 years. I still remember that sweltering afternoon when I first stumbled upon it, looking for something that reminded me of ma’s lebur shorbot from my school days. Dibyendu Srimani, the ever-smiling custodian of this heritage gem, handed me their legendary Abar Khai Malai Sherbet — thick, creamy, laced with malai and secrets passed down generations. While the Green Mango Sherbet adds a sharp tang and the Mishti Paan Malai tastes like a glassful of sweet, syrupy nostalgia with a hint of paan, it’s that quiet simplicity of this unassuming spot that lingers. Once frequented by the British colonials to try out the Mishti Paan Malai as a substitute to our good old mishti paan, even today the craze for these unique beverages is hard to replace.
Paramount
1/1/1D Bankim Chatterjee Street (College Square area)
When it comes to sherbets in Calcutta, no place is more iconic than Paramount. Tucked away behind College Square, it has been a favourite for decades — not just for its drinks, but for the kind of people who come there. I first visited when I was just 11, with my cousin who lived on Surya Sen Street. We were supposed to be looking for books — used copies, rare autobiographies of international artistes — but honestly, the real plan was to stop at Paramount for a glass of sherbet. I was amazed by the flavours— Malai Daab, Passion Fruit, Cream Pineapple or, for a change, Khus Khus Syrup, Tamarind Syrup — and how fresh everything tasted. They even sell the special essence they use, and I’ve tried making it at home, but nothing beats the real thing from the shop.
Back in the ’90s, there weren’t many students around, but the few who came knew this was the place to be. It had an old charm, and the crowd was always full of thinkers, writers, and artists. Even today, knowing legends like Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Tarashankar Bandopadhyay, Nabanita Deb Sen, Uttam Kumar, and Sourav Ganguly once sat there sipping their sherbets, makes every glass feel like a sip of history.
This 107-year-old shop started by freedom fighter Nihar Ranjan Mazumdar still carries his legacy of using extracts from real fruits. and Paramount deliberately refrains from making it less sweeter. “Sherbets are meant to be sugar sweet and that’s how we serve it” — says one of the service boys as he hastily puts down my glasses of Coco Sherbet, Creme Strawberry and Ripe Mango Sherbet on the table.
Shiv Assram
168 Bidhan Sarani(Hedua area)
On Bidhan Sarani in North Calcutta, lined with monumental buildings from the British Raj, stands this small but brightly lit sherbet shop, its renovated facade proclaiming the name on red acrylic sheet. While a lot has changed since its inception in 1978, surprisingly, the crowd even at wee hours of the day has increased with the passing years. This discovery was also made during my summer stays at my maternal uncle’s house post swimming at Hedua, followed by a refreshing slurp of Green Mango Lassi and Orange Lassi with a tangy flavour in the end, and my constant favourite, Rose Lassi and a good old Ripe Mango Lassi. Unlike other Rose Lassis with an overpowering Rooh Afza syrup, this comes with a very subtle sweet syrup. While I was skeptical about the flavours altering with time, I was spellbound by the same old taste retained in a glass costing just ₹50!
Shiv Shakti Sharbat
98 BK Paul Avenue (Sovabazar area)
Shiv Shakti Sharbat was known for the long queues outside during every Holi for its Bhaang ki Golis dressed in silver foil, with an almond on top, served in cups. The very queue once attracted me to the place only to discover this vibrant old shop painted in red and yellow with Lord Shiva photos decking up every corner, serving a plethora of thandais, lassis, water syrups, special shakes and sodas. Keeping aside their signature Kesar Badam Thandai slathered with a thick layer of malai, kesar and crushed nuts, my favourite is their Rose Lassi with a mix of mango syrup and dollops of cream making it rich in flavours. But the core essence of this shop is the Bhaang ki Golis, which is served in such a unique way irrespective of Holi or any other festivals, throughout the year!
Laxman Yadav Lassi
Ballygunge Gardens (Gariahat area)
Easy to miss amidst the crowd of Gariahat, but lucky growing up in that area, my search for a simple lassi drink led me to this decade-old small stall decked up in white, and run by a family of four from Bihar, right across the Gariahat auto stand. Standing amidst the jostling shopping street, the owner, Laxmanji reminisces his age-old technique of using mathani — a wooden ladle — to mix a tempting glass of lassi. The surprising element is that despite inflation around the globe, their lassis still start at ₹30 only!
Krishna Juice Corner
24 Roy Street (Bhawanipore area)
A lot has changed ever since this age-old juice shop started renovating with a nicely lit LED signage. But in the olden days, its name etched on a tin board amidst the colonial residential houses of Elgin Road, back during my teen days, was enough for people to flock in for a fresh glass of beverage. With a unique sherbet and juice mix made of fresh fruits, the specialty of Krishna Juice Corner was their drink made from seasonal fruits, imported and made available throughout the year. Even today the menu remains unaltered with the same unique flavours like Ganga Jamuna, Kiwi, Alphonso Mango, Jamun, Red Globe Grape Juices and Plum Juice. But other than juices, they are also known for their unique shakes like Anjeer and Dates, Avocado, Chiku, Sitaphal or Custard Apple. What is fascinating is that with expanding shopping space, more fruits have lined up their shelves, comprising exotics like Dragon Fruits, Musk Melon, and Alphonsos.
Balwant Singh’s Eating House
10B Harish Mukherjee Road (Bhawanipore area)
My earliest memories of Balwant Singh dhaba traces back to my college days. Unlike many flocking to it for a cup of piping hot tea, for me it would be the late-night expedition for their signature Doodh Cola — a wonderfully unique and light drink made with the right mix of milk and cola with two big cubes of ice. Despite my eternal dislike for milk, take me to Balwant and I can put down three glasses of Doodh Cola at one go! Another favourite, without a shadow of a doubt, is Rabri Lassi. For many tiring nights, a filling glass of this lassi with a thick layer of rabri, crushed cashews, syrup and a subtle essence of saffron on top would be a filling appetiser for me. Many nights I could have dinner solely with a full glass of Rabri Lassi.
Ralli’s
172 MG Road(Burrabazar area)
Ralli’s wasn’t just a drink stop — it was a ritual. Every November, during Kali Puja, my trip to Burrabazar for firecrackers would invariably end with a glass of Ralli’s sherbet in hand. While most people think sherbets are a summer affair, for us, it was an all-season indulgence. Ralli’s proved that point with every sip. Established back in the day when Burrabazar buzzed not only with business but also nostalgia, Ralli’s served as a pause button in the chaos. Their iconic Tamarind Sherbet — tangy, spiced just right, and poured over chunky crushed ice — wasn’t just a drink, it was a punch of joy that could smack one out of their shopping fatigue. Even today, that familiar red signage and syrup-filled glass jars like kewra syrup, khus or pineapple feel like a slice of old Calcutta bottled in sweetness. Though Ralli’s today has expanded to other branches across the city, this 120-plus-year-old shop popular mostly for syrups is a benchmark for sherbet shops in town.
Ralli's, The author at Shiv Assram, Balwant Singh's Eating House
Debaditya Chaudhury is an entrepreneur who owns brands like Chowman, Oudh 1590 and Chapter 2. He is also a musician and the keyboardist of popular Bangla rock band Lakkhichhara
