15 Best Shopping in Kolkata (Calcutta), India

Sabyasachi Mukherji, one of India's most well-known fashion designers, is from Kolkata; a trip to his flagship store is a crash course in Indian textiles and craftsmanship. Known for his saris and wedding clothes, Sabya (as he's popularly known) dresses many of India's top film stars and celebrities.

Some of the country's most skilled goldsmiths and jewelry designers hail from Kolkata. And in Bowbazar, east of Chitpur Road, is where you will find them. The cheek-by-jowl shops that line the busy street sell good-quality traditional gold and silver jewelry, but there are also more trendy and chic designs in platinum, with diamonds and other precious and semiprecious stones. Prices are reasonable, because labor charges are less here than in other Indian cities. Each shop has an astrologer on hand to help you find the most auspicious stone based on your sign and birth date.

For curios in a hurry and at fixed prices, head to Central Cottage Industries. It may seem a tad musty and salespeople may seem disinterested, but you may just find a good bargain.

For those who want to browse through handicrafts and hand-loomed cloth and clothing from around the country, this no-fuss, no-frills mall is a good destination. Discovering gems in this sea of government shops may leave you parched, though. Head for Dolly's Tea Shop, on the ground floor, for refreshing hot and cool blends of the finest teas, handpicked by the owner, Dolly Roy, the world's first female tea auctioneer and India's first female tea taster.

Forum Mall has shops selling clothes, music, leather, toys, and lots more.

South Kolkata's most popular and very congested shopping district is home to chic boutiques and bustling shops selling saris in all kinds of styles and prices. The pavements are taken over by hawkers selling clothes, toys, accessories, and handcrafted jewelry—it can be challenging to negotiate the crowd during peak hours. Intense bargaining is de rigueur on the street, but the air-conditioned shops offer respite from the heat as well as the haggling. The lanes away from Gariahat Road itself—Hindusthan Park Road, Dover Lane, Southern Avenue—are quieter and more upscale. Here, among the elegant homes of Kolkata's upper classes are where you will find art galleries, quirky and traditional Bengali restaurants, specialty shops, boutiques, and quaint cafés that are local favorites. Visit By Loom for hand-loomed saris, jewelry, and a cozy café. Bunkari sells saris, stoles, and scarves; Weaver's Studio has handloomed textiles. For a bite of Kolkata's famous kati rolls, try Bedouwin or Badshah, where crisp parathas are wrapped around succulent pieces of meat and finely chopped onions and served piping hot. For traditional Bengali meals, try 6 Ballygunge Place, Sholo Ana, Tero Parbon, or Bhojohori Manna. Le Petit De La Maison, The Bistro, Wise Owl, and French Loaf are some of the European-style eateries in the area. If the shopping and the crowds get to you, head to the Ramakrishna Mission, in Gol Park, for some quiet reflection.

Quaint little Konark Collectables carries handicrafts, curios, antiques, period furniture, and gift items.

The century-old New Market, officially Sir Stuart Hogg Market, houses about 2,500 stores under one roof, selling cotton saris, Bankura clay horses, brassware, leather bags from Shantiniketan, silk from Murshidabad, khadi (handmade cotton) cloth, clothes for kids, wigs, poultry, cheeses, nuts, and other foods. The neighborhood is also home to several air-conditioned malls, department stores, restaurants, and stand-alone shops, while the sidewalks are taken over by street-food vendors and knickknack stalls. It's definitely the busiest shopping district in the region.

The café overlooking the chic street below serves teas and snacks at this store, one of the city's favorite spaces for books and book parties. There's a wide range of titles in English, as well as some in Indian languages and in French. Gifts and a DVD section round out the offerings.

Kolkata's newfound love affair with malls is reflected in this massive and high-end example of the genre, home to Paul Smith, Emporio Armani, Canali, Fendi, Gucci, Michael Kors—some 130 brands in all. Restaurants include SeraFina and Irish House.

Head up Rabindra Sarani from Lal Bazaar Road (near the West Bengal Tourist Office) and you'll soon enter an Islamic world. Women walk by in burqas (long, black, tent-shaped robes), their eyes barely visible behind veils. Men sit on elevated platforms selling Bengali kurtas (shirts) and pants, and colorful lungis and white dhotis (both are wraps) for men. Other vendors sell vials of perfume created from flowers. Rabindra Sarani is interesting all the way to Chitpur Road.

On Sunday auctions take place along Russell Street. A trip to the oldest auction house, the Russell Exchange, run by brothers Anwar and Arshad, or any of its neighbors, is invariably entertaining. Goods auctioned range from antiques and period furniture to crockery and cutlery. On Thursday, there's a sale of vintage clothes.

Designed by the award-winning Indian Charles Correa, this mall is favored by young couples and families for its abundant open spaces, restaurants, department stores, boutiques, and live shows.

Specializing in art, social sciences, theater, and politics, this publishing imprint has a cozy store, which manages to devote space to art and literary discussions as well as an expansive and eclectic stock of books.

By some measures this is the largest mall in the region—there's parking for 1,800 vehicles. A huge number of major brands are available on its five floors, and there's also a sprawling food court and a multiplex.