About

A few decades ago, eating Bengali food outside of the home wasn't common. However, no longer is it a challenge to find restaurants specializing in delicious, authentic Bengali cuisine in Kolkata. There are scores to choose from! A hit in the City of Joy, many of these restaurants have gone on to open branches all over India. Seafood lovers will relish fish-dominated Bengali food. To get the most from your dining experience, keep in mind how Bengalis eat to preserve the subtle flavors -- vegetable dishes first, followed by fish, and then meat.

Elegant fine-dine Swade A Swade was North Kolkata's first dedicated Bengali cuisine restaurant, founded in 2021. It offers a wide variety of food from all over the region, with a focus on bringing back the exclusive lost “Zamindari cuisine” of aristocratic landowners.. All dishes are outstanding. Of note, the restaurant is said to do the best Kosha Mangsho (slow-cooked spicy mutton curry) in the city. The thalis (platters) are recommended for a sumptuous multi-course meal. Do note that alcohol isn't available, although it's served elsewhere in the hotel.

Our dishes were developed from scouring cookbooks, including those containing traditional recipes of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore's family. Daab Chingri (large prawns cooked with mustard in a tender green coconut) is the signature dish. For a real feast, go for the buffet. It offers a selection of the top dishes, which is ideal for those who may be overwhelmed by the extensive a la carte menu.

 Try the Smoked Hilsa fish, Bhetki Macher Paturi (fish fillet in a spicy mustard paste steamed in a banana leaf), Chingri Malai Curry (coconut prawn curry), and Kancha Lonka Murgi (boneless chicken in a cilantro/coriander and chili gravy). If you're in Kolkata during the monsoon season, check out the restaurant's Hilsa Festival - a tribute to the city's treasured fish.

Ignore the uninspiring decor, the budget-friendly food is what counts there. And, the crowded dining room is testament to this. The signature dish is Kochu Paata Chingri Bhapa (steamed prawns with mustard and taro leaves).