3 Best Restaurants in Central Kolkata and the Maidan, Kolkata (Calcutta)

This is one of the city's oldest restaurants, with an atmosphere that harkens back to its early days in the 1960s (some of the staff may actually date from those times, too). The Chelo kebab—a simple dish plated to resemble a cello with buttered saffron rice, a fried egg, two pieces of mutton (goat) kebabs, and one chicken kebab—is wildly popular. The dining room is intimate, thanks to the small tables, with white stucco walls, Tiffany-style lamps, and soft lighting.

Small and cozy, with minimalist furniture and plate-glass windows, this restaurant is run by a friendly, helpful staff. Don't-miss choices include prawn salad, fish-and-chips, lobster thermidor, and chilli crab.

With opulent furniture and ornate upholstery, Zaranj remains popular for its North-West Frontier cuisine and tandoori classics. The Zaranji raan, a favorite among guests, is a whole leg of goat marinated in Indian spices and slowly grilled—it takes a good 30 minutes to prepare, but it melts in your mouth.