The hangout spots keeping Kolkata’s ‘adda’ culture alive through generations

Kolkata is known for many things — Durga Puja, art and music, literature and cinema, its love for food — be it biryani and roll or phuchka and chop-cutlet. However, over all of this, there is one more thing a Kolkatan and a Bangali cannot do without. Whether they like maachh-bhaat and mishti or Continental and desserts, adda is at the top of the list for everyone.

For the uninitiated, an adda is a small-ish gathering of friends and acquaintances for a session of non-stop conversation with topics ranging from day-to-day problems and anecdotes to local or global politics or sports. The greatest catalysts for these sessions are usually endless cups of tea, sometimes coffee, and most often in Kolkata a few cigarettes for whoever indulges.

An adda can be indoors or (preferably) outdoors, and beyond the college campus and office, the locations for these addas have evolved over the years — from Coffee House on College Street to steaks at Oly Pub to the city’s vibrant cafe culture at present.

With Friendship Day having just gone by, My Kolkata takes a look adda spots around the city that have fostered friendships through generations.

‘Roker adda’

Older houses across Kolkata’s landscape from north to south feature an outdoor platform attached to the building — a sort of a porch, popularly known as rowak or rok. These spots have forever been reserved for adda. Lovers of Bengali literature and film are sure to remember Narayan Gangopadhyay’s Bhajahari Mukhujjee or Tenida of Potoldanga. One of the Chaar Murti, he was known for his penchant for ‘rok e adda mara’, among other things.

With a cup of tea in one hand and more often than not cigarettes in the other, these addas are not bound by time or age. They start off in the late afternoons — for those who wrap up work early or don’t have to go to the office — and go late into the night. Endless discussions covering everything from a hectic work day to more intellectual pursuits have been unwinding on these rowaks for decades. Debabrata Samaddar, a 1985 Jadavpur University graduate, remembers these rowak addas fondly. “Earlier the para (neighbourhood) addas all across the city would take place on those rowaks. While that culture is not as prevalent in south Kolkata any more you will still find various spots all across the north where the roker adda is still buzzing.”

Calcutta Bunglows conducts a monthly adda session in Shyambazar where they host a session on a Saturday every month where telebhaja and chai add fuel to the adda.

Coffee House ‘adda’

Manna De’s melodious voice lamenting that Coffee House’r shei adda ta aaj ar nei has been the anthem for many groups of friends across generations who spent their youth hanging out at the iconic Kolkata eatery and then moved away from home. Dating back to the early 1940s, and featured in numerous pieces of literature about the city, the Indian Coffee House on College Street has been a significant part of Kolkata’s culture.

A haunt for intellectuals including Satyajit Ray and Sunil Gangopadhyay, the hub of the Naxalite movement of the 1970s and a forever favourite with college students — the spot has seen Kolkata evolve and change while keeping alive its own signature charm. At Coffee House, the air has a unique scent of coffee, cutlets and cigarette smoke. A gigantic portrait of Rabindranath Tagore adds to the aesthetics, along with high ceilings and staff who still dress in coats and turbans.

“Indian Coffee House has always been the go to place for us. We enjoyed their chicken sandwiches and countless cups of coffee post college to unwind and discuss everything under the sun”said Arindam Ghosh who graduated from North City College in 2005.

The patrons of this heritage establishment involve older folk who return for nostalgia, travellers discovering Kolkata and students of nearby Presidency College and Calcutta University, who make the short walk across the street for some coffee and adda, keeping the atmosphere vibrant and bustling. A special note for the servers at ICH whose frowns have been well documented through the years and always add that much-needed comic relief or spice to addas, since a few minutes are dedicated to discussing these expressions as they make sure tables get the correct order in the midst of all the daily chaos.

College Square and college ‘addas’

Another favourite for students of Calcutta University and Presidency, has been the ever bustling College Square. Large groups still frequent the fenced square, which has been the centre of historical events, political and cultural, and is also a figure of diversity as generations of college students have spent hours here — talking about mundane things, and sharing their dreams and hopes.

Adda is an intrinsic part of college life in Kolkata that has remained unchanged for decades. Several campus locations hold a special place as spots for adda between classes (or when bunking classes) — green benches of St Xavier’s College, the swathes of green inside Jadavpur and Presidency University campuses, and the college canteens. For Malay Mukherjee who graduated from JU in 1981 with a degree in Electrical Engineering, one of the favourite spots was “the canteen where they used to serve a take on Mughlai paratha. It wasn’t exactly what a Mughlai Paratha should be, but it had an egg stuffing and we loved it along with the tea.”

Another such spot is the old staircase of Asutosh College. Nabamita Bhattacharya who graduated from Asutosh College in 2005 said, “While various adda spots are nostalgic, the staircase of Asutosh was a firm favourite. I visited college after graduating only to find that the staircase doesn’t exist any more. We spent countless hours there, some after college and even bunking classes just because the adda was too interesting.”

The evolution of a Park Street ‘adda’

The changing face of Park Street has been a constant feature of Kolkata. While several new places have opened and closed over the years, some — like Waldorf and Floriana mentioned Nabamita — have stood the test of time. The one that stands out for a few generations — mostly those who went to college in the early 2000s — is Oly Pub.“Oly Pub’s steaks were the reason we kept going back. Back in the early 2000s there weren’t many places that served that kind of Chateaubriand and it was the centrepiece of our adda.”

A little beyond Park Street, the “chaats, sandwiches, chole bhature and several other options near Vardaan Market made it a go to spot for us after college” said Sneha Roy who graduated from Bhawanipur Educational Society in 2021.

Arun Tea Stall (popularly ATS), which has been increasing in popularity over the years, is also a favourite, budget-friendly adda spot today.

Dakshinapan’s ‘adda’

A firm favourite amongst those who studied in Jadavpur University in recent times, Dakshinapan in Dhakuria is one of those spots that took adda into consideration in its very infrastructure. The stairs in front of the auditorium, a number of benches spread out and spots for chaa, phuchka and snacks within or near the premises make it a go-to spot. For Subharathi Chakroborty, who graduated from South City College in 2015, “Dakshinapan was really special as it was always filled with groups and couples enjoying jamming sessions and Bangla rock music accompanied by chai, cigarettes and shingara. The vibe was the perfect blend of nostalgia and modern times.”

Even 1985 graduate Debabrata Samaddar finds Dakshinapan to be “a place that encompasses what the adda culture is all about. It’s such a nicely made place, which was probably designed in a way that adda would always be at its centre.”

Nandan’s ‘adda’

Considered a cultural epicentre in the city, Nandan remains a favourite for college crowds and intellectuals, especially movie buffs. Home to some of the best cinema to come out of Bengal, Nandan is known for its pocket-friendly ticket prices, its wide range of films and its cultural, liberal crowd. “Our usual adda was closer to home, but on days we had a little extra money, a movie at Nandan and a stroll around the complex was what made the favourite addas,” said Malay Mukherjee.

For Sneha Roy, who graduated in 2021, “Nandan was just a beautiful place to be after college. From the lebu chaa to the views of St Paul’s Cathedral to the greenery and the sounds of groups jamming with a guitar, Nandan is probably the perfect spot for an adda. Even today in the winter when they show Art Films, Nandan is my go-to theatre to watch a film. Not just the ticket prices but the whole experience of Nandan is something that cannot be replicated.”

An ‘adda’ at Balwant Singh Dhaba 

Bhawanipore’s Balwant Singh Dhaba has been another popular hotspot for chai and adda. For those who want something cool on a hot day, the eatery signature doodh cola remains a favourite. The outlet next to the gurdwara is almost always crowded, from morning walkers at dawn to friends catching up late at night. It is also a staple with the students of Bhawanipur Education Society, who frequent it post college hours. “Balwant Singh was one of our favourites, along with their chai and our adda, their aloo parathas added a different dimension to our conversations,” said Sneha.

The evolving nature of ‘addas’

Speaking to Kolkatans of different age groups, My Kolkata discovered that everyone had a nondescript neighbourhood tea shop which was their group’s favourite adda corner. While a few said their favourite adda spots were inside their colleges, others had a para kochuri shop that made the list.

The one common thread was that an adda was less about the location — though handy snacks and a place to sit scored brownie points — and more about the group of people you were with. The amount of money spent did not directly correlate to the enjoyment that comes out of an adda session. With Kolkata’s cafe culture taking centre stage in the city, the hangout locations might have altered in recent times but almost everyone had the same thing to say when looking back at college days.‘An adda was wherever we were but now it feels like you have to go to a nice cafe and shell out anything above Rs 500 to sit and chat with your friends. Yes, there is added comfort, but adda is more about the joy of everyone sipping hot tea and the constant presence of smoke all around us as we laughed and cried together.’