Top 5 Telebhaja Spots in Kolkata That Have Served Tagore and Bose

A choreography unfolds on the streets of Kolkata; have you seen? Into the hot oil, a variety of different battered vegetables are put on the spot; they put on a show, the sizzling providing for quite the accompanying applause.

But the real performance — beguni (batter-fried eggplant), alur chop (spiced mashed potato balls), piyaji (onion fritters), and mochar chop (banana flower cutlets) — they argue is yet to begin; it’s when they make their way onto the plates placed in front of happy customers. This is when they take their final bow.

The telebhajas of Kolkata are for anyone looking for happiness on a shoestring budget. And here are some spots to get them at. 

1. Lakshmi Narayan Shaw & Sons: The Kolkata eatery that won Subhash Chandra Bose’s heart

The eatery has gone down in Kolkata’s history for being quite a plucky one, not just reflected in the taste of the telebhajas but also in its history. It served as a meeting space for freedom fighters during India’s Independence struggle.

Started by a gentleman, Khedu Shaw, in 1918, Lakshmi Narayan Shaw was where the revolutionaries gathered on many evenings, their heads bent over the latest developments. Among them was also Subhash Chandra Bose, who became such a favourite of the owner that to date, on Bose’s birthday (23 January), telebhajas are distributed free of cost. A poster boy of the menu is the aamer chop (made with seasonal raw mango).  

2. The iconic pre-Independence Mitra Cafe 

While the city is decked with numerous outlets serving up this quick magic, certain ones stand out. One such is Mitra Cafe, started in 1910 by a gentleman Sushil Chandra Roy. For most people in Kolkata, telebhajas are synonymous with childhood memories.

And, at this cafe, it’s not just the telebhajas but also the brain chop, the fish kabiraji (cutlet) and mutton kabiraji that people remember and love and flock to eat. 

3. Kalika: Preserving Kolkata’s telebhaja legacy

In the College Square area of Kolkata, the telebhaja is quite the hero. And one of the most popular outlets here is Kalika. A humble hole-in-the-wall eatery, Kalika is known for its mutton cutlets and bhetki fry (Bengali-style fried fish) and of course, the telebhaja.

Other popular menu items are the beguni (fried aubergine fritters) and mochar chop (banana flower cutlets) and piyaji (fried onion fritters). Kalika’s popularity hasn’t dimmed one bit since 1965, when it was established by Sukumar Dutta in order to tide through a financial crisis. Since then, professors, writers, bureaucrats, and just about everyone have flocked to the eatery. 

4. Basanta Cabin: Home of the Kabiraji made for Rabindranath Tagore

Not just telebhaja but even the kabiraji, the fish fry, and the special Mughlai have also drawn an audience at Basanta Cabin in College Street of Kolkata. The story goes that the kabiraji, a cutlet wrapped in a coating of egg, was likely invented here, with the head chef creating it to impress Rabindranath Tagore. With a history that dates back more than 90 years — the outlet opened in 1931 — the outlet has sustained in the public consciousness for its flavours. 

5. Potlar Dokan: The century-old telebhaja outlet  

The legendary telebhaja outlet was started by a gentleman Sashi Bhushan Sen, nearly a century ago as a way of earning an extra income — Sashi was a cashier in Calcutta Tramways Company — in order to meet the needs of his seven sons.

Some of the best-selling items on the menu are capcicumer chop (Rs 5), potoler chop (Rs 5), dhoka (Rs 4) and phuluri (Rs 4).