A taste of Kolkata in a bhanr of tea

A lot can happen over a cup — or in Kolkata, a bhanr (fired clay cups) — of tea! Stop by at any roadside tea shop and you’ll get a peek into the soul of the place more vividly than ever.

The City of Joy is dotted with such stalls that don’t just sell tea but remain witness to happenings big and small. After all, Darjeeling or Assam, no matter the debated choice, Kolkata does love its brew. 

So here are a few where the kettle’s always on the boil and the tea is waiting to tell stories.

At 61, Bentinck Street, the day starts at 6am as 20 litres of water is put on boil in a huge tanki or urn. Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s hundred-year-old Tanki Chai opens shop early and continues to serve tea till 10 in the night. The shop gets its name from the giant vessel or samovar — a metal container traditionally used to heat and boil water — in which the tea is made. The tea shop is popular both among residents of the area and office-goers. The samovar was installed by Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s grandfather. Once the water is boiled, tea and sugar are added to the samovar while milk is added in a separate container. Customers keep coming back here for a bhanr of chai. 

Well-known for its buzzing food stalls, the office para lunch hub also has quite a few tea stalls. Most shops here serve tea in white saucers and cups. Chittobabur Dokan, famed for its Chicken Stew, also lists tea and toast as a breakfast favourite. Mona's Tea Shop and Shyamsundar Tea Stall are other popular tea stops in Dacre’s Lane.

Famous for its lip-smacking litti chokha, this shop tucked between Nimtala Ghat and Ahiritola Ghat sells a unique tea. The hot favourite Gulabi Chai (pink tea) is milk tea made with rose essence. The light aroma of rose water in the tea comes as a surprise. After a generous filling of litti chokha, customers end their meal sipping this Gulabi Chai. The shop opens around 10.30am and remains open till midnight.

Located on APC Road at the Shyambazar crossing, this 105-year-old shop serves nostalgia in a bhanr. The wooden chairs and tables, an old-school toaster and even the walls take you back in time. Run by the fourth generation of owners now, the shop was started by Lalbihari Basak in 1920. The menu is simple but the customers are loyal. Pound ruti (bread) with or without butter, boiled or poached eggs or omelette and tea with or without sugar are served every day.

Established in 1930 by Radha Kishore Dutta, this tea stall near Lake Market stands as a testimony of time. Radha Kishore Dutta was a devoted activist during the Indian freedom movement; the stall has been a silent witness to many revolutionary plans and stories. The shop is open from 6am to 10am. It opens again at 4pm and serves some tasty snacks with tea till around 8pm. If you are there at breakfast time, bite into the crisp toast on offer as you sip some tea. For a taste of their delicious fish fry or vegetable chop, drop by in the evening.

If you like your tea sweet as sin, the tea made with condensed milk at Dilip’s tea stall on 2/3 Southern Avenue is your kind of cuppa. Opened some 40 years ago, this quaint shop serves Darjeeling brews. Dilip Mukherjee, the owner of the shop, manages everything single-handedly. Give him a little time and you will get a perfect blend of tea leaves and condensed milk. The morning timings are from 6.30am to 11am and in the evening the shop is open from 3.30pm to 7pm. The shop is closed for half a day on Saturday and fully closed on Sunday.

If you love Kesari Chai, then Arun Tea stall on Shakespeare Sarani should be your destination. The aroma of the rich milky tea fills up the entire locality. The gentle sprinkle of kesar (saffron) on the milky tea is the hot favourite at this stall. Although the stall sells samosas and other sweet and savoury items, Kesari Chai is what everyone comes here for. The tea starts brewing at 6am and service continues till 10pm.

Located on Harish Mukherjee Road, this place is buzzing with customers all day. The piping hot chai served in kulhars is famous across the city. The iconic stop has been serving tea since 1926. The chai made here is a unique blend of Darjeeling and Assam tea.