The central Bengali sweet: chhana kneaded with sugar and shaped, sometimes flavoured, sometimes filled. It exists in dozens of forms — karapak and norompak (hard and soft set), jol bhora with a liquid centre, kacha golla barely set at all, and the winter nolen gur versions.
The great sandesh shops are in north Kolkata and several of them predate 1850.
North Kolkata
Shobhabazar · Shyambazar · Bagbazar · Hatibagan · Kumartuli · Jorasanko · Maniktala| Name | Where | What it is known for |
|---|---|---|
| Girish Chandra Dey & Nakur Chandra Nandy1844 | 56 Ramdulal Sarkar Street, Hatibagan | The sandesh shop by which others are judged. Heritage-listed by the city. |
| Nalin Chandra Das & Sons1841 | College Street area | Possibly the oldest sweet shop in Kolkata. |
| Chittaranjan Mistanna Bhandar1900s | 34B Shobhabazar Street | Over a century of doi, roshabesh and madhuporko. |
| Adi Haridas Modakc.1780 | Shyambazar More | Among the oldest food shops in the city. |
| Sen Mahasay1935 | Shyambazar and city-wide | Sandesh, and a serious nolen gur range in winter. |
Central Kolkata
BBD Bagh · Esplanade · New Market · Park Street · College Street · Bowbazar · Burrabazar| Name | Where | What it is known for |
|---|---|---|
| Bhim Chandra Nag1826 | 5 Nirmal Chandra Street, Bowbazar | Founded 1826; the ledikeni was invented here in 1858. The Cooke and Kelvey clock with Bengali numerals still hangs. |
| K.C. Das1868 | Esplanade and city-wide | The family credited with the rosogolla, and the firm that canned it. |
| Putiram1920s | College Street | Sweets, kochuri and radhaballavi. |
South Kolkata
Bhowanipore · Kalighat · Gariahat · Ballygunge · Lake Market · Jadavpur · Tollygunge| Name | Where | What it is known for |
|---|---|---|
| Balaram Mullick & Radharaman Mullick1885 | Bhowanipore and city-wide | The most inventive of the old houses; baked rosogolla, chocolate sandesh, nolen gur. |
| Mouchak1950s | Rashbehari Avenue | A South Kolkata standard. |
| Hindusthan Sweets1946 | Rashbehari and city-wide | Large and reliable, with a heavy festival trade. |
| Jadab Chandra Das1800s | Bhowanipore | An old Bhowanipore sweet house. |
Worth knowing
- Sandesh is judged on the chhana, not the decoration.
- Karapak is firmer and keeps a little longer; norompak is soft and does not.
- Nolen gur sandesh, in winter, is the best version of this sweet.
The other dishes
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A note on this page. Restaurants, shops and markets open, move and close far more often than industries do. Everything here is a snapshot of Kolkata as of 2026, offered as a starting point rather than a live listing. Check the address and the hours before you travel.
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