Bose’s favourite eateries in Kolkata

Basic, homemade Bengali dishes and snacks for just a few paise attracted office workers and travelers to pice hotels. More than a hundred similar simple restaurants scattered throughout the city during its transition from Calcutta to Kolkata. The Swadhin Bharat Hindu Hotel located in Bhawani Dutta Lane on College Street is one of the few remaining pice or ‘bhaat er’ hotels. Established in 1913, the hotel incorporated ‘Swadhin Bharat’ into its name after Independence and is believed to be the place where Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose dined while attending Hindu College. It is said that his favorite meal was the ‘pui shaaker chochchori’, which continues to be offered at the restaurant today.

In the same area exists a small establishment called Paramount, where revolutionaries such as M.N. Roy, Pulin Behari Das, and notably, Netaji held secret meetings while enjoying sharbats. The gatherings occurred under the careful, vigilant supervision of owner Nihar Majumdar, who established the store in 1918.

Paramount even had to temporarily close its doors in 1934 to prevent doubts from the British authorities. Even now, Paramount remains a favored destination for those visiting College Street as well as for the numerous students of this university ‘para’. The most favored beverage — offered solely in summer — is the Daab Sharbat. The delicate coconut mixture is believed to have originated from Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray, who created it for his dear friend, Nihar Ranjan Majumdar.

Just a stone’s throw from Paramount was Favourite Cabin. Similar to pice hotels, cabins also hold a significant place in Kolkata’s history. These small restaurants offered drinks and light bites such as fish fry, ‘kabiraji’, and cutlets. Founded in 1918 with a straightforward menu, it became a popular spot for students, professionals, thinkers, and nonconformists. Legend has it that Kazi Nazrul Islam would perform his works through recitation and song while a young Subhas Chandra Bose listened attentively nearby. Sadly, the cabin shut its doors throughout the pandemic.

Journeying from central to the northern part of Kolkata’s Hatibagan, one can find the well-known ‘telebhaja’ establishment Lakshmi Narayan Shaw and Sons, a tiny eatery located on the ground level of an ancient residence, that has been offering its deep-fried treats since 1918. Nowadays, everyone in Kolkata is familiar with this store known as the ‘Netaji shop’. The 107-year-old store previously provided tea and ‘telebhaja’ to freedom fighters, and legend has it that this is how the owner Khedu Shaw encountered Netaji. The revolutionary leader is reported to have quickly started visiting the shop often for ‘telebhaja’ and ‘cha’. In 1942, Shaw handed out complimentary fritters on January 23 to celebrate Netaji’s birthday. The tradition persists to this day