Indian Coffee House (College Street)

Albert Hall of Indian Coffee House

The Indian Coffee House has four branches in Kolkata, namely the College St. branch, Central Avenue branch, Medical College branch & Jadavpur branch. These are one of the most favourite hang-out places among friend groups of students and youngsters, although one can see several old-timers frequenting the coffee houses on a regular basis. Today its crusty high ceilings and grimy walls ring with deafening student conversation but despite the dishwater coffee, it’s perversely fascinating. It was born in the 1940s, when the Coffee Board set them up. In the 1950s, when the Coffee Board shut down it was reopened by worker cooperatives who were backed by professors of Presidency College & Calcutta University. The history of the Coffee House at College Street can be traced to Albert Hall, which was built in April 1876. Later, the Coffee Board of India decided to start a coffee joint from the Albert Hall in 1942. Notable citizens, including Rabindranath Tagore and Subhas ChandraBose, were frequent visitors to the place. In 1947, the Central Government changed the name of the place to "Coffee House". The place became a meeting place for poets, artistes, literati and people from the world of art and culture.

Chicken Cutlet

The prestige of the Coffee House increased with regular visitors such as Satyajit Ray, Manna Dey, Amartya Sen, Mrinal Sen and Aparna Sen. The Coffee House is of historical significance for being the rendezvous of innumerable versatile people, from its inception to date. Scholars, editors, artists and writers like Ritwik Ghatak, Narayan Gangopadhyay, Sunil Gangopadhyay, Sanjeev Chattopadhyay, Samaresh Majumdar, Subhas Mukhopadhyay and Shakti Chattopadhyay have been just a few among the patrons of the restaurant. Though popularly known as College St. Coffee house, this branch is actually on Bankim Chatterjee St. The coffee house is famous for its “adda” sessions, and as the breeding place of several political and cultural personalities and movements.

Mutton Afghani

Indian Coffee House Entrance

Cold Coffee At Coffee House

Chicken Kaviraji

On a leisurely afternoon, you could try out cold coffee cream with sandwiches or cutlets (served with French fries, salad & chutney). The food price is one of the cheapest in Kolkata, which you can check out from the menu given at the end. The best item on the list is perhaps Afghani (chicken / mutton) which is kind a cutlet immersed in sweet gravy made of onions & tomatoes. The taste is unique and worth to try. There are egg (boiled & omlettes) and fish (Fry or baked or grilled) items too. If you want a low-priced heavy meal at, there are Chinese items like chowmein, fried rice & side dishes of chicken too. The entrance to the place is like a winding staircase of an Old North Kolkata house. There is this huge hall and a balcony where the ordinary wooden table & plastic chairs are laid out under the high ceiling. Although ashtrays are not provided at any table and public smoking by law is banned, still people are found to smoke, which is possible only because this place is not air-conditioned. One could enter here and think that he / she has been transferred to a historical era when North Kolkata was famous for para’r rock e bose adda (hanging out & chat sessions with friends on roadsides). On evenings, you might have to wait for long to get a table as once people are seated here; they spent atleast 2-3 hours with friends. And you might have to find your own empty table; the waiters (dressed in traditional white attire & turbans with a fan-like attachment on the side) might not help you with that. A meal for 2 persons costs around Rs. 150.

Hot Coffee

Even though nowadays the posh & stylish outlets of CCD, Barista attract middle & upper class people, still this heritage site, the Indian Coffee House of Kolkata has a charm of its own, which can never be denied. Although famous Singer Manna Dey had sung that “Coffee house-er sei adda ta aj ar nei” (Coffee house’ hangout sessions are not there today), still you would see hundreds of people from young students to retired old natives flocking to this place everyday just to keep the “adda” session alive over a cup of coffee & Onion pakora.

Onion Pakora

Location: Indian Coffee House, Albert Hall, 15, Bankim Chatterjee Street, Kolkata – 700073

Contact No.: (+91) 9339743492, (+91)(33) 22375649

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Don't Forget to take the Tram Ride back from there

Menu Card: (Items Price / Rate Including Taxes)

Coffee:

Hot Coffee – Rs. 15

Hot Coffee Tray Per Cup – Rs. 20

Hot Coffee Cream – Rs. 22

Cold Coffee – Rs. 22

Cold Coffee with Cream – Rs. 26

Infusion – Rs. 13

Caterings:

Onion Pakora with Sauce per plate – Rs. 20

Singara per piece – Rs. 9

Toast & Butter – Rs. 15

Bread & Butter – Rs. 14

Plain Slice – Rs. 9

Vegetable Cutlet – Rs. 22

Moglai Paratha – Rs. 35

Sandwiches per Plate:

Mutton Sandwiches – Rs. 35

Chicken Sandwiches – Rs. 32

Vegetable Sandwiches – Rs. 22

Egg Sandwiches – Rs. 25

Egg Items:

Egg Fried – Rs. 11

Egg Omlette – Rs. 18

Chicken Omlette – Rs. 32

Mutton Omlette – Rs. 35

Tomato Omlette – Rs. 22

Boiled Egg – Rs. 8

Chicken Items per Piece:

Chicken Cutlet – Rs. 35

Chicken Kaviraji – Rs. 42

Chicken Afgani – Rs. 50

Mutton Items per Piece:

Mutton Cutlet – Rs. 37

Mutton Kaviraji – Rs. 42

Mutton Afgani – Rs. 52

Fish Items per Piece:

Fish Fry – Rs. 36

Grilled Fish – Rs. 42

Baked Fish – Rs. 50

Extras:

Extra 2 oz. Milk – Rs. 7

Extra 2 oz. Cream – Rs. 15

Extra 2 oz. Butter – Rs. 16

Extra 2 oz. Sauce Chutney – Rs. 8

Extra Salad – Rs. 12

Chinese:

Chicken Hakka Chowmein – Rs. 54

Mutton Hakka Chowmein – Rs. 60

Egg Hakka Chowmein – Rs. 50

Vegetable Hakka Chowmein – Rs. 42

Mixed Hakka Chowmein – Rs. 70

Chicken Gravy Chowmein – Rs. 53

Mutton Gravy Chowmein – Rs. 58

Egg Gravy Chowmein – Rs. 49

Vegetable Gravy Chowmein – Rs. 43

Mixed Gravy Chowmein – Rs. 70

Chicken Fried Rice – Rs. 55

Mutton Fried Rice – Rs. 62

Egg Fried Rice – Rs. 50

Vegetable Fried Rice – Rs. 40

Mixed Fried Rice – Rs. 70

Chilli Chicken – Rs. 70

Boneless Chilli Chicken – Rs. 80

Chicken Sweet & Sour – Rs. 80

Garlic Chicken – Rs. 80

Fish Finger – Rs. 82

Chicken Pakora – Rs. 70

Tomato Soup – Rs. 45

Chicken Corn Soup – Rs. 55

Chicken Clear Soup – Rs. 50

Vegetable Soup – Rs. 42

Chinese Salad – Rs. 40