8 Kolkata Tearooms Where Tea Becomes Art

A modest tea stall on the street, a passionate dispute about politics, a newspaper in one hand and hot chai in the other. It’s peak Bengali behaviour. Today, though, the discussion shifts from the local tea stalls in the city to tea rooms in the city. What is a tea-room, you ask? A tearoom is a quaint setting where people congregate to savour different kinds of tea, frequently with light fare like cakes, sandwiches, or scones. With a steaming cup of tea, tearooms provide a comfortable and friendly setting where guests may relax, talk with friends, or even hold business meetings. Yes, it’s the European influence that still permeates these tea rooms in Kolkata. It's all very Bridgerton, with tea cakes on the side, charming tea rooms and lounges, pinky-up while drinking, and laughing like it's high tea at a royal estate. Tea rooms and lounges that radiate this vintage English charm abound in Kolkata. Continue reading to know where to go:

Address: Shop No. G-62, Ground Floor, Dakhinapan Shopping Complex, 2, Gariahat Rd S, Dhakuria, Jodhpur Park, Kolkata, West Bengal 700068

Timings: 10:30 AM - 8 PM. Closed on Sundays.

Cost: INR 600 for two

Image Credit: Cha Bar

Cha Bar, Oxford Book Store

Like a scene from your current book, this is where all the BookTok girlies, bookworms, and literary romantics congregate. If you enjoy falling into a main-character mindset, the Cha Bar within Oxford Bookstore, Park Street, is the place to start your story. Purchase a book and immediately begin reading it while enjoying some tea and pastries. While enjoying what is arguably the largest selection of teas in Kolkata, including several tea-based mocktails, you can read and write at your leisure. With over 150 different types of tea, Cha Bar's tea menu includes Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Moroccan, Russian, Sri Lankan, South African and Thai teas in addition to a variety of single-origin Darjeeling, Nilgiri, Sikkim and Oolong teas, flowering teas, organic teas, herbal teas, fruit teas and bubble teas.

Address:  17, Park Street, Oxford Book Store, Park Street Area, Taltala, Kolkata, West Bengal 700016

Timings: 11 AM - 9 PM

Cost: INR 850 for two

Karma Kettle

A charming and comfortable tea room where you may sit and sip your tea while surrounded by a selection of teas and the supplies needed to prepare a revitalising cup of tea. Handmade items from Pondicherry are also sold in one section of the store. Savour a little cookie and a cup of second flush Darjeeling tea. Karma Kettle is particularly well-known for its stone-ground Japanese matcha green tea, which is imported straight from Japan. For people who prefer matcha with a touch of sweetness, like dessert in a cup, without feeling bad about it, Vanilla Matcha green tea is ideal. A great tea to start the day or replenish your energy in the afternoon is Matcha lemongrass ginger. It is temporarily closed for dining, but will open up in the next few days.

Address: Ground Floor, 62/1, Golpark, Hindustan Park, Gariahat, Kolkata, West Bengal 700029

Timings: 12 PM - 9 PM

Cost: INR 1,200 for two

Also Read: 7 Matcha Specials In Kolkata From Boba To Lattes For Your Viral Trend Fix 

Image Credit: Flurys

Flurys

Not only one of the oldest bakeries but also one of the oldest tea rooms in the city and country, Flurys has to be on your list. It serves the best view of the iconic Park Street with a side of English charm in Kolkata. Flurys originally had been established as an old English tearoom by Mr and Mrs J. Flurys in 1927. Well-known around the world for its rich, creamy cookies, puddings, and pastries, and hot beverages too, decades later, the restaurant is still as well-liked, featuring chandeliers, fancy furniture, and pastel colours that evoke the atmosphere of European tea salons. The tea blend offered at the flagship location on Park Street will appeal to you. Namring Upper Tea Estate supplies the second flush Darjeeling tea, while the company-owned garden at Budlabeta supplies the Assam tea. Darjeeling is the source of green tea. They also have an upcoming tea set that will have the logo stamped on it, which includes tea, milk, sugar pots, cups, saucers, and a strainer.

Address: 18A, Park St, Park Street area, Kolkata, West Bengal 700071

Timings: 6 AM - 11 PM

Cost: INR 800 for two

The Glenburn Cafe

The Glenburn Cafe has been renovated from an old warehouse site. It gives the feel of a European tea room and is part of the famous Glenburn tea estate in Darjeeling. Upon entering, you will be mesmerised by the quaint white louvred windows, the vintage décor, the chequered marble floors, and the flower-filled boxes underneath each window. It's a wonderful spot to enjoy Glenburn's renowned tea and some delectable cakes and pastries. Hot and cold drinks from the 8th Day Café, a roastery in Kolkata, are offered, along with a wide variety of 23 varieties of Darjeeling, Assam, and tasty mixes from their tea plantations in Darjeeling and Khongea, Assam. Tea from Darjeeling is served with a squeeze of fresh Gondhoraj lemon. 

Address: 7A, Russel St, Park Street area, Kolkata, West Bengal 700071

Timings: 9 AM - 9 PM

Cost: INR 950 for two

Image Credit: ITC Royal Bengal

Darjeeling Lounge

With its understated, minimalist décor and antique furnishings, the Darjeeling Lounge at ITC Royal Bengal will transport you back to the colonial past. You will be reminded of Darjeeling's well-known Glenarys by the verdant walls. Despite being extremely simple, it has a large, chic, and aristocratic aesthetic. Design elements from the Northeast's tea farms have been expertly incorporated into relaxed, modern styles. The best teas from China and Assam are included in addition to Darjeeling tea. Margaret's Hope and Makaibari are examples of first flush teas that offer smooth, fragrant tastes that are reminiscent of almonds and hazelnuts. The Darjeeling Lounge is a pleasant destination for tea enthusiasts, catering to modern preferences with inventive products. Inspired by Dalhousie's street chaa near the Stock Exchange, Share Market Chai is a popular beverage among all. It consists of Assam tea with strong spices and Gondhoraj cookies. 

Address: G9WX+G3 ITC Royal Bengal, 1, JBS Haldane Ave, Tangra, Kolkata, West Bengal 700105

Timings: Open 24 hours

Cost: INR 1,500 for two

First Flush

If you enjoy drinking tea, this should be your first choice. You can work from here while enjoying tea and nibbles all day long. Try Nimbula Moonshine (light and cold) and the first flush (Giddapahar). Here, the Mixed Thukpa is also excellent. Their fall flush and second flush teas are also quite well-liked. The Makaibari variety is the most popular, and the majority of its tea comes from colonial gardens in the Darjeeling hills. A place where you may spend time with your carefully chosen companions while sharing arcane stories from the books they sell.

Address: 21, 2, Gariahat Rd, Ballygunge Gardens, Keyatala, Kolkata, West Bengal 700019

Timings: 8 AM - 10 PM

Cost: INR 900 for two

Image Credit: Makaibari Bungalow

Makaibari Bungalow

Visit the recently built Makaibari Bungalow Life store at Taj Bengal to experience the atmosphere of a plantation. Excellent tea, beautiful handmade fabrics, and the sophistication of plantation furniture are all available in this immersive space. Celebrated for its 160-year history of creating outstanding organic teas, the renowned Bengali tea brand Makaibari at Taj Bengal in Kolkata is now offering its discriminating clientele a lavish bungalow lifestyle. The space features handcrafted goods from Luxmi Estates' historical outposts, which are responsible for prestigious brands like Obeetee and Makaibari, each of which has more than a century of unmatched craftsmanship. This includes an amazing selection of excellent teas, well-wrought silver teapots, plantation furniture, beautiful carpets, and home linens, all of which are expertly intended to create an extravagant, handcrafted lifestyle.

Address: 34-B, Belvedere Rd, Alipore, Kolkata, West Bengal 700027

Timings: 11 AM - 9 PM

Cost: INR 95,000 per package