Puja is when Kolkata eats hardest. Bhog is served at the pandals — khichuri, labra, beguni, chatni, payesh, cooked in enormous pots and given free. Around the pandals the stalls sell rolls, chow, phuchka, biryani and ice cream until three in the morning. And the restaurants take bookings weeks ahead.
Ashtami is traditionally vegetarian in many households; Nabami is when the mutton appears.
The names
Places, pujas and people, with what each one is| Name | Where | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Pandal bhog | every community puja | Khichuri, labra, beguni and payesh, served free. Ask at the pandal office; most welcome visitors. |
| 6 Ballygunge Place2003 | Ballygunge | Books out weeks ahead for the five days. |
| Bhojohori Manna2003 | city-wide | Puja menus and long queues. |
| Kewpie’s Kitchen1991 | Elgin Lane | The household Bengali table; book ahead. |
| Arsalan2002 | Park Circus and city-wide | Biryani through the night during Puja. |
| Aminia1929 | New Market and city-wide | Mughlai, open late. |
| Maddox Square stalls | Ballygunge | Rolls, chow and phuchka until very late. |
| Gariahat and Deshapriya Park stalls | south Kolkata | The heaviest street food trade of the year. |
| Balaram Mullick & Radharaman Mullick1885 | Bhowanipore and city-wide | The sweet trade peaks; order ahead. |
| Nakur Chandra Nandy1844 | Hatibagan | Queues out of the door through the week. |
| Nizam’s1932 | New Market | Rolls through the night. |
Worth knowing
- Bhog at the pandals is free and visitors are generally welcome. Ask at the office.
- Restaurants book out weeks ahead for the five days.
- Ashtami is vegetarian in many households; Nabami is the mutton day.
- The street stalls run until two or three in the morning.
- Bijoya, after Dashami, is when the sweet shops do their heaviest single day.
More on Durga Puja
Read the city another way
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.
Restaurant, shop and company names and trademarks belong to their respective owners. Inclusion is for independent discovery only, not endorsement, ranking or affiliation.
Our other websites
These open our other sites in a new tab. They are part of the same network and are marked in blue throughout this site.