Palmiers & Chamomile Tea: Now Join The Cat In This Bookstore's Cafe

Remember the cat-themed bookstore in Park Street that completely bowled us over with its foreign books and captivating decor? This fun bookstore, Bingsha Shatabdi, now has a brand new cafe, and the cats inside are waiting for you to join them for some tea.

Cosy, calm and relaxing, this is exactly a spot you would want to escape to with a good book. None of the elaborate affairs of a commercial cafe or rush of a popular spot, this little cafe takes up one corner of the bookstore with shelves of books facing it. With just two table and seats for no more than 6 people, this is as small and non-intrusive as it gets.

Pick up a foreign language book from the racks (they have some wonderful French books in stock now) or one of those Bengali comics and cosy yourself up in the corner with a cup of tea or coffee from the cafe. Serving only Glenburn's tea, there's Assam, green and chamomile to choose from. And if you're slightly more picky you could also take your preference of spring and autumn flush. Make a light snack of your tea with their sweet and savoury cookies. We loved their palmiers, but you can also try their classic cheese straws and jam tarts for a slice of childhood nostalgia. 

We give this place more brownie points, despite the limited menu, simply because of their marvellous decor (cats prowling on the walls with books) and really pocket-friendly prices. Teas start at INR 30 and the cookies at INR 25!

There's not much for coffee lovers to indulge in. The usual three varieties of Americano, latte and espresso are the only ones available.

Novellas to dictionaries and non-fiction tomes, Bingsha Shatabdi has it all. Check out their amazing collection of translated comics from Tintin to Tenida, Shirshendu to Sharadindu and Asterix — the list is long and satisfying. We especially loved the Bengali comics section and the YA section.