The Cultural Capital of India, Kolkata (formerly known as Calcutta) is a heaven for foodies. The spicy, tangy, and mouth-watering street food of Kolkata leaves you in a dilemma whether to try the authentic spicy Bengali cuisine or the melting flavors of Bengali sweets. The Kolkata street food is also known as ‘Tiffin Gali’ in common parlance. Some lanes in the city are filled with office-goers, who dig into cheap yet gratifying food. Numerous stalls on chaotic roads are operated by thousands of people trying to eke out a living in such areas. Here’s a list of cheap yet delicious food lanes for office-goers.
Dacres Lane
Dating back to the time of the British Rule, James Hickey Sarani, or the famous Dacres Lane is one of the oldest surviving street food centres in the city. Located in Esplanade, Kolkata, this lane still delivers the best quality street foods at an economical price. And you will be surprised to know that you can have a lunch platter for Rs 50 or less. This street introduces you to the iconic Chitto Babur Dokan, a restaurant that opened over 70 years ago, which is very popular within the locality itself for its two bestselling food items. One is a light and hearty chicken stew along with toasted bread which will cost you Rs 88 and the other is a humble Bengali Khichuri platter with a Veg Curry, ‘Chatni’ (Bengali style sweet Tomato Chutney), ‘Beguni’(Eggplant fritter) and ‘Papad’ for Rs 30.
Besides, the street is dotted with shops such as Chitto Da’s Suruchee Restaurant (popular for Fish Fry at Rs 75) Classic Fast Food Centre (famous for non-veg combos like Masala Kulcha and Chicken Bharta at Rs 100 and Noodles and Chilli Chicken at Rs 60), Bebo Sandwich (Chicken Cheese Sandwich), Apanjan, etc.
Dalhousie, BBD Bagh
The bustling space near the Calcutta Stock Exchange, the food lane of Dalhousie is best known for Sandwiches, toasts, tea, etc. Housing numerous government and private office buildings and shops, it’s no wonder that people gather in this area to discuss everything from business to commerce with one another during lunch break or any other breaks. In this area, Kona Dukan is one of the famous stalls offering a luscious Malai Toast for Rs 30 and Kesar tea for Rs 60. You can also try out the natural fruit Kulfis from Kulfiwala. Additionally, this India Exchange PI street also offers veg Roti platter at Rs 26 and Khichuri Platter at Rs 25.
Streets of Sector V, Saltlake
With tall corporate buildings, Sector V attracts people for several purposes, be it for a visit to the office or brunching at famous food joints like Barbeque Nation. As the area is mostly identified as ‘Office Para’, there are several food stalls beside the lanes to make a living by offering people a wide range of food platter at cheap prices. When visiting the area for work purposes during lunch and you’re in hurry, you may consider having a cheap yet satisfying meal here. Streets of Sector V, Kolkata offers food as cheap as Rs 20. You can even have lunch for as low as Rs 100 by customizing a platter comprising Tandoori Roti (Rs 3 each), Paneer Butter Masala (Rs 20), and Chicken Bhuna (Rs 60). You can even have Calcutta-style Chicken Biriyani for as little as Rs 70.
So, if you are someone who likes to explore diverse street food and visiting Kolkata for the first time, don’t skip these lanes of the City of Joy.
