Now Reading: Delhi, Kolkata pre-Independence eateries still serve after decades
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Delhi, Kolkata pre-Independence eateries still serve after decades
Delhi, Kolkata pre-Independence eateries still serve after decades
Several eateries in Delhi and Kolkata that opened before Independence continue to serve generations of customers. Karim's in Old Delhi started in 1913, its founder a former khansamah of the Mughal court.…
The Story in Brief
Several eateries in Delhi and Kolkata that opened before Independence continue to serve generations of customers. Karim's in Old Delhi started in 1913, its founder a former khansamah of the Mughal court. Wenger's, a confectioner, opened in 1924 when the city was still being built as the new capital. Kwality (1940) and United Coffee House (1942) in Connaught Place catered to Allied soldiers and became meeting places for poets and freedom fighters.
In Kolkata, Swadhin Bharat Hindu Hotel (1912) was a favourite of Subhas Chandra Bose. These establishments witnessed the end of the Raj, Partition, and the birth of the republic, carrying stories of empire, migration, and change in their kitchens and dining rooms.
The Indian Opinion
The nostalgia around these eateries often paints an unbroken line from the Raj to modern India, obscuring that many began as exclusive clubs for British soldiers or the elite. Real Indian food culture runs through countless humble dhabas and street stalls, not just colonial-era survivors. The test will be whether places like Karim's and Kwality can stay relevant as young diners move on, or become museum pieces frozen in time.
Source: timesnownews.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
