Matcha, avo toast & pizzas: What cafe hoppers swear by

With every hood boasting of at least a dozen cafes and bistros, CT put together a list of the most ordered dishes across Kolkata

Quick bites and platters for the win

Quick bites are defining café culture in Kolkata as they are sharable & easy on the pocket.

Deep Batra of KettleBerry Coffee Break said Chicken BBQ pizza, Grilled bhetki platter, and French fries top the list for them.

Shilpa Chakraborty of Tribe Café shared that Fish & Chips, Chicken platters, and pastas are crowd favourites at all their outlets.

Matcha, coffee & freakshakes

When it comes to drinks, patrons are spoilt for choice at city cafes. Urvika Kanoi of The Daily said it’s flavour, fulfilment, and caffeine people want which makes their Sugarcane mary and iced lattes very popular.

At Kaldi Bean, cold beverages like cold coffee, iced teas dominate the menu, shared owner Debanuj Dasgupta, while Sudarshana Dutt of Café Courtyard said cappuccino, café latte & mocha still reign supreme.

Pizza still rules the menu

When it comes to comfort food, Kolkata’s pizza obsession remains unchallenged. At PICO Pizzeria and Café, the woodfire Neapolitan pesto burrata pizza stood out for its “smoky flavour and soft, airy crust,” said owner Prateek Didwania.

At Boho The Sky Café, both veg and non-veg pizzas made their way to the top of the list. Co-owners Anirban & Roshni Aditya said for large groups who want to grab a bite, pizza is the perfect choice as the communal aspect shines through.

A strong sweet tooth

From rumballs and strawberry cubes at Flurys to Biscoff cheesecakes and Tres Leches at Craft Coffee, sugar cravings are getting a luxe upgrade. Abhinav Kumar of Craft Coffee added, “Our cheesecakes and truffles are all-time favourites as many want to have something sweet with coffee.”"Among the new introductions, the Iced Raspberry Matcha drink received an excellent response, alongside the signature Flurys Cappuccino. This year during Pujo, our festive platters were a big hit — especially the Kosha Kochi Pathar Dak Bungalow, which emerged as the top seller. From our heritage confectionery range, the rumballs and chocolate and strawberry cubes continued to be guest favourites," shared Rajesh Singh, National Head, Flurys.

And the winners are...

Quick bites:

Beer-battered fish & chips, Chicken platters, Grilled bhetki, pastas like alfredo and aglio olio

Top drinks:

Freakshake frappes, matcha lattes and lemonades, iced latte and americano, cold coffee with ice cream

Pizza picks:

Pesto burrata, Chicken BBQ, Neapolitan-style pies & tandoori-spice toppings

Dessert bestsellers:

Cheesecakes, Tres Leches, Brownie with ice-cream, pastries

Health is a key factor guiding people’s choices so sparkling orange espresso & honey lemon matcha are hot-sellers. Salmon avo toast, cream cheese & Lox are also popular – Grant Walsh, 8th Day Café & Bakery ownerMilk shakes and dessert bowls are in high demand. We see groups of youngsters going for shareable dishes to hang out with a bite to grab– Nikhil Chawla, owner of Poach - Kitchen.Espresso and Marbella’sOur cranberry coffee is very popular along with cappuccino and vegan drinks – Nishant Sinha, owner, Roastery Coffee House