Peter Cat restaurant on Park Street has been selected as one of the most legendary restaurants in the world by Taste Atlas, a popular online food guide based in Croatia. Established in 1975, the iconic Kolkata eatery has secured the 17th position among the top 150 legendary restaurants globally.
The list published on Friday (June 23) includes restaurants from around the world, from family-run establishments to distinguished Michelin-starred venues. “These are not just places to grab a meal, but destinations in their own right, comparable to the world’s most famous museums, galleries and monuments. Bypassing any of these distinct culinary or cultural landmarks means missing out on a quintessential aspect of each city’s vibrant tapestry of history, tradition, and local flavour,” shares the introduction to the list by Taste Atlas.
Peter Cat, founded in 1975, has been celebrated for being a culinary institution “adored for its blend of Indian and Continental cuisines”. The restaurant’s signature dish that features prominently in the recognition it has received? Chelo Kebab! (no surprises here).
How did the Chelo Kebab come about?
The Chelo Kebab platter is utter perfection, complete with juicy and fragrant kebabs, a poached egg and a dollop of butter, all sitting on a bed of hot rice File photograph
The founder Nitin Kothari shared the story behind the creation of the iconic Chelo Kebab with My Kolkata once more. “When I opened Peter Cat in 1975, the kebab sales started to soar, and this dish called Chelo Kebab began to dominate. To meet the demand, I had to add more tandoors. Traditionally, kebabs are eaten with naan, not rice. However, I’ve always had a fondness for rice, and it turns out the people in Kolkata share that preference. So, I pondered, why not create a dish that combines the best of both worlds? We added poached or fried eggs and a touch of butter. That’s how Chelo Kebab came about,” shared Kothari.
Seven restaurants from India have made it to the list of 150. Paragon restaurant in Kozhikode claims the 11th spot, followed by Tunday Kababi (Lucknow) at 12th, Amrik Sukhdev Dhaba (Haryana) at 23rd, Mavali Tiffin Rooms (Bangalore) at 39th, Karim’s (Delhi) at 87th, and Ram Ashraya (Mumbai) at 112th.
Here’s the complete list of the '150 Most Legendary Restaurants in the World & Their Iconic Dishes’ as shared on the publication’s Instagram account:
