Kolkata (Calcutta) - Surviving the "City of Joy" General tips on Calcutta and the surrounding area.

Some Details...:confused:


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Old Apr 3rd, 2008, 22:12   #1
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Some Details...:confused:

Guys I am going to Kolkata for the 1st time and need to know about it...

1) Clean, Cheap Accomodation, preferably near the business district... I mean nearby some business area... I am coming to meet up various Jute and Cotton Mills owners... Any suggestion ??? My comfort zone is INR 250 - 500 (Is it possible to have room with A/c, at these rates)

2) I shall have 1-2 days free for short trip in nearby area... any cool beach or water fall would be perfect... places of historical/mythological interests would do fine too... Please suggest some... along with tips on how to reach there ???

3) As I am a strict vegetarian... Where would I be able to find good, reasonably priced food ??? Also let me know about any good bars as I would be free in evenings...

Thanks... shall pour more questions once other things are finalized...
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Old Apr 4th, 2008, 16:09   #2
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Nope, A/c Rooms near CBD will cost minimum rs. 2500 a day.
Calcutta is a food lovers paradise, you will find good food
all around city at a moderate price, go to park street area
for Bars.
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Old Apr 4th, 2008, 21:51   #3
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How's Railway's "Retiring Room" ???

I have used them at many destinations in southern india, they are simple best value for money... how about kolkata(howrah)


Does any one has a good road map of Kolkata ??? I need it badly...

Last edited by mailpbk : Apr 4th, 2008 at 22:52.
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Old Apr 7th, 2008, 21:28   #4
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Sudder Street may be able to help you with air con rooms at lower rates ! Nd its not too far from the CBD of Dalhousie. YMCA also takes in guests.

Howrah commute is 1 hr each way at least so budget for it.
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Old Apr 8th, 2008, 00:19   #5
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Originally Posted by mailpbk View Post

3) As I am a strict vegetarian... Where would I be able to find good, reasonably priced food ??? Also let me know about any good bars as I would be free in evenings...
As a vegetarian you will have a hard time finding decent food in Kolkata, because Bengalis eat lots of fish and other animals, especially goats. I mean to say even those who consider themselves vegetarian there eat fish. If you are fine with eating in a non-veg restaurant, you will probably get thru alright. As a "pure vegetarian" I used to eat only freshly made things where i saw the kitchen from the table to be sure i am not served old stuff. In Kolkata this is difficult. street places however cater to this choice. there is one street seller that does dosas and rawa idli, he is located in front of New Market, Lindsay Street side. He has really good rawa idli and dosa, and a wonderful sambar going along. But he is there only from 11 a.m. onward.

There is only one more real vegetarian restaurant, it serves only South Indian tiffin food like dosa and the like, but to get to that you need to use the metro to Chandni Chowk. Probably not your choice. i do not remember the restaurant name now. Maybe someone else knows it. It is an upper class restaurant.

I doubt you will find an AC room in your price range. Non-AC rooms in Sudder Street area are going on that rate you mention. You could perhaps get an AC room for around Rs 800 there. For instance at Hotel Capital, on a side-street from Sudder St. Good luck.
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Old Apr 8th, 2008, 00:48   #6
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its not true, there are equal number of good
vegetarian restaurant as non vegetarian outlet.
go thru times good food guide on Calcutta ,
where you will find a good number of Vegetarian
Restaurant around calcutta.

There are lot of Calcutta outside sudder street
and Chadni Chowk area. Calcuttan goes hardly
these areas for dining.

Cheers
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Old Apr 8th, 2008, 01:07   #7
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As a vegetarian you will have a hard time finding decent food in Kolkata
This is, in fact, absolute bollocks, I'm very sorry (or maybe not so) to say.
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Old Apr 8th, 2008, 01:23   #8
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...As chief61 just said, but rather more politely.
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Old Apr 8th, 2008, 13:55   #9
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This is, in fact, absolute bollocks, I'm very sorry (or maybe not so) to say.
okay, give me details, will be glad to learn. But pure veg places, pls.
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Old Apr 8th, 2008, 13:58   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chief61 View Post
its not true, there are equal number of good
vegetarian restaurant as non vegetarian outlet.
go thru times good food guide on Calcutta ,
where you will find a good number of Vegetarian
Restaurant around calcutta.

There are lot of Calcutta outside sudder street
and Chadni Chowk area. Calcuttan goes hardly
these areas for dining.

Cheers
restaurants in places where tourists do not go/cannot find are quite useless. give a link, pls., anyway.
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Old Apr 8th, 2008, 14:09   #11
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http://yellowpages.webindia123.com/d...Restaurants/1/
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Old Apr 8th, 2008, 14:13   #12
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Check this link as well..http://kolkata.burrp.com/

might not be the best resource..but something sure would be there...
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Old Apr 8th, 2008, 14:53   #13
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The request of OP is a pure vegetarian restaurant. They are extremely rare in Kolkata. There was one on Park Street until a few years ago, it was called Christian Brothers. Meanwhile it closed. There was another one, a Rajasthani pure veg restaurant on Green street, off Park st, that closed too. This shows by itself that pure veg places cannot make it in Kolkata downtown. I know Kolkata pretty well, not necessarily to find my way in all her streets, but the difficulty to survive there as a pure vegetarian who does not accept food from restaurants that also serve fish/meat.

One of the reasons is that traditional Bengali brahmins are known to often include fish in their diet. Pure veg places are often started by brahmins or catering to brahmins. Since Bengali brahmins are not so keen on being pure vegetarians, the market for a restaurant may be quite limited. The really strictly vegetarian Brahmins probably will not go to restaurants anyhow.

It is all quite complicated.
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Old Apr 8th, 2008, 15:27   #14
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Your knowledge about calcutta is very limited, your
calcutta seems to be one mile circle from sudder street,
Have you heard about " Anand " on Chittaranjan Aveue ?
Have you heard of Komala Vilas on Rash behari Avenue
near lake market ? FYI these are one of those Purely
vegetarian restourants.

CHeers
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Old Apr 8th, 2008, 15:59   #15
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Check out Raj hotel and restaurant near "Hazra" crossing on Manoharpukur Road - it's very well connected from "Jatin Das Park" metro railway station. Also, here 100% vegetarian food of good quality is available.
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