Royal Indian Hotel

Royal Indian Hotel is a heritage Mughlai eatery at 24 Rabindra Sarani in the Chitpur area of Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It stands close to Nakhoda Mosque, the large red-sandstone mosque that anchors the old Muslim quarter of north-central Kolkata. Despite the name, it is a restaurant rather than a lodging, in the old Indian use of the word hotel for an eating house. The neighbourhood is dense, loud and commercial, and the restaurant is a long-standing fixture of its street life, popular for traditional Mughlai cooking at low prices.

The menu is short and meat-centred. Mutton biryani, priced around ₹250, is the headline order, in the Kolkata style that includes a potato. Chicken rezala, at about ₹230, is a pale, thin, white-gravy curry flavoured with yoghurt, green chilli and kewra, and is one of the most emblematic Mughlai dishes of Kolkata. Mutton chaap, around ₹200, is a rich, mildly spiced preparation commonly eaten with paratha or rumali roti. Kebabs and breads supplement the main dishes. Portions are generally filling relative to price, and the restaurant sits in the budget category ($).

The atmosphere is basic and busy, with simple tables, no air-conditioned polish and constant turnover. Noise is high, particularly at lunch, and dress is casual. There is no wine or alcohol programme, and drinks are typically soft drinks and tea. Operating hours run from about 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM, and the rating is around 4.2 on visitor reviews.

Reservations are not usually taken, and tables are filled as customers arrive. The best approach is to visit outside the peak lunch hour or in the early evening. The neighbourhood becomes especially crowded during Ramadan evenings and around Eid, when Rabindra Sarani is full of food stalls and visitors. Travellers should dress modestly when combining the meal with a visit to Nakhoda Mosque and be prepared for heavy traffic and crowds on the surrounding streets.