The café culture in Kolkata is one of the most popular things these days. However the culture is not anything new. The city has always had a vibe when it comes to being trendy since forever. Even before the time when there was no existence of cafes at every other nook and corner of the city, Kolkata had its own café. And here I am talking about nothing but the Indian Coffee House Kolkata. The whole idea behind spending some quality time chatting, while sipping on some tea or coffee and munching on some food is not new to the city at all. In fact the old Coffee House Kolkata is very much the heritage that the new age cafes these days are inspired from. At present even if there are hundreds of cafes all around the city the heritage of Coffee House Kolkata is something that we cannot ignore.
Furthermore the Coffee House has been a witness to so many struggles, so much creativity and has hosted some of the most important personalities of all time. With time and modernization the vibe of this location is still something that would remind you of the age old Calcutta. And if you have not visited the famous Coffee House in College Street Kolkata then you are certainly missing out on a big chunk of the heritage of the city. Keep on reading this article as here I will mention everything about the Indian Coffee House Kolkata. This will be a helpful read for you if you are planning a trip there anytime soon.
Indian Coffee House Kolkata
Location: 15, Bankim Chatterjee Street, College Street, College Square West, Kolkata, West Bengal
Timings: 12 pm to 8 pm on all days
Cost for two: Rs. 300 approx
How to reach
By air
If you are travelling by air then the nearest airport to reach the Coffee House is the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport. From the airport the coffee house is located at a distance of 14.8 km. It would take you around 35 minutes to reach the location from the airport easily. It would be convenient to take a cab or else take a yellow taxi to reach the coffee house.
By train
While travelling in a train the nearest railway station to reach the coffee house is the Sealdah Railway Station. From the railway station the Indian Coffee House Kolkata is located at a distance of 1.9 km. It would however take only 10 minutes to reach there from the railway station. The Howrah Station is another major railway station that you can opt for to reach the Indian Coffee House. From the station the coffee house is located at a distance of 3.9 km. It would take you only 20 minutes to reach the coffee house from the station. From both the stations you will find the city buses to reach the coffee house. Or else you can take a yellow taxi or a cab to reach the Indian Coffee House conveniently.
By road
College Street is one of the popular locations so you will get buses from major locations to reach there. You will have to reach there first and then you can walk a little to reach the Coffee House. Or else you can also take a cab or a yellow taxi as well to reach the location as well. Furthermore if you are travelling from a shorter distance then there are local transports as well. You can take auto rickshaws as well as hand pulled rickshaws to reach there conveniently.
By metro
Travelling by metro to reach the Indian Coffee House can be easy too. The nearest metro station to Coffee House is the Central Metro Station. From Central the coffee house is located at a distance of 1 km only. It would take you around 12 minutes to walk and reach the Indian Coffee House Kolkata from the metro Station.
Overview of Indian Coffee House
The Indian Coffee House Kolkata is that old heritage building in the heart of Kolkata that is still standing tall with its age old charm. This is one of the old buildings in Kolkata and also one of the locations that is still holding on to the charming past days. Located at Bankim Chatterjee Street in College Street this location has witnessed people voicing their dreams and making them true too. Over packs of cigarettes and cups of coffees the youth, budding artists, political personalities, writers, filmmakers, and people from different other fields have shared opinions here. The Indian Coffee House has always been a symbol of modernity yet catching the grip of heritage and culture.
There are two sections here, one verandah-like gallery on the upper portion and one common area at the ground. For the close proximity with the Presidency College and the University of Calcutta the Coffee House was always the ideal spot for Adda sessions. And what attracts the customers and visitors here is the vibe that remains the same for so many years now.
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What’s more?
Another interesting thing here is the pocket friendly Indian Coffee House Kolkata menu. You can get coffee here at just Rs. 20 and cold coffee at Rs. 40. The food here is something that few people love and few don’t like. But the vibe here is one common factor to love the place. You can try an array of dishes here like Sandwiches, Fish Fry, Chicken Cutlet, Fish Kabiraji which are the common orders here. Other than that, they also have some Chinese options like Chowmin and Chilli Chicken.
If you are visiting here the primary attention should be on the vibe of this location. And everything else here is secondary. So you must plan a visit to this location once to get the vibe of this age old café in the city.
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Indian Coffee House Kolkata History
The history of the Indian Coffee House Kolkata goes long back to 1876 when it was the Albert Hall. Albert Hall was basically the residence of the Treasurer of the Bank of Bengal and the Secretary of Asiatic Society at that time, Ramkamal Sen. However, later in time the Coffee Board decided to start a Coffee Joint here in 1942. In 1947 the Central Government finally changed the name of the location to Coffee House. And soon after this location became a meeting point for poets, filmmakers, politicians, artists from all over the city. It soon became a spot for Adda or the quintessential chatting over a cup of hot coffee or some food.
In 1958 however the management decided to shut the location. But soon the same year itself the professors of Presidency College as well as University of Calcutta signed a petition. The petition was to save the heritage location from closing. The Coffee House has hosted many famous personalities as well which the location would always be proud of. Some of the notable personalities were Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Ritwik Ghatak. Aparna Sen, Amartya Sen also have visited here. Also Sunil Gangopadhyay, Narayan Gangopadhyay, Samaresh Majumdar, Shakti Chattopadhyay have paid a visit here as well.
The Indian Coffee House Kolkata has also been a centre of various cultural and literary movements in the past. The Coffee House always thrived on being an intellectual space for the artists, political and cultural personalities and obviously students. It is mostly famous as the College Street Coffee House. Moreover it is still a place of nostalgia for so many people in the city. There is a famous song by Manna Dey as well which is “Coffee Houser sei Addata aaj ar nei”. The song further made the location prominent.
Wrapping Up!
So that was all about the Indian Coffee House Kolkata and you must pay a visit here once you are in the city. Moreover, even if it is one of the age-old heritage eateries in the city, the ambiance of this location attracts all the attention. So if you are planning a trip to this heritage eatery then you must be ready to dive deep into age old traditions as well. Let me know when you are planning a trip to the Coffee House Kolkata. Also do not forget to let me know if this article on old Coffee House Kolkata is helpful for you in planning a trip there.
