India has a long tradition of baking food, often inspired and ‘learnt’ from foreign invaders and colonizers India has had to deal with through its rich, glorious history. From Kolkata to Chennai, from Mangalore to Srinagar, India has some really iconic bakeries, whose baked goodies are world-renowned and classic favorites for their countless fans. Some of them have even been around for over a century. Here are some of the most iconic bakeries in India that you must visit when exploring trails –
Nahoum & Sons, Kolkata
Located in Kolkata’s New Market or Hogg Market, this bakery was set up by Nahoum Israel Mordecai, the patriarch of a family of Baghdadi Jews in 1902. Its fruit cakes and macarons have been drawing in countless Kolkatans since so long now. Tucked inside this 20th century covered market, Nahoum & Sons has a vintage tone about it, evident from its storefront signage and hanging tubelights, with glass displays kept in the front.
Address: Nahoum & Sons, F47, Hogg Market, New Market Area, Kolkata
Flury’s, Kolkata
This art deco bakery in Park Street, Kolkata always has an air fragrant with the aroma of sugar and fresh pastries, making your mouth water the moment you walk through the door to the place. From there, you can turn to your left, and be amidst a crowd shouting orders for rum balls, chocolate boats, cakes, quiches and puff pastries, or you can turn right and take a table, to order a full English, huevos rancheros or the signature club sandwich among other dishes on the sit-down menu. Today, there are many other Flury’s that have popped up across Kolkata, but loyalists and first-timers alike must visit the Park Street original for the real feel of the Flury’s.
Address: Flury’s, 18, Park Street Area, Kolkata
Jila Bakery, Goa
Not far from the Majorda beach is this charming but non-descript-looking villa that houses this iconic bakery. If you don’t reach here early in the morning, by afternoon all you will get to see is shelves bereft of the freshly baked legendary chocolate eclairs, plum cakes, banana cakes, cashew cookies and forminhas. If you’re lucky you can find a spot in the small verandah where you can sit down and relish the treats from the bakery, though the bakery is most known for delicacies to go.
Address: Jila Bakery, Near Corporation Bank, Loutolim, Camorlim, Goa
Kookie Jar, Kolkata
If you are attending a birthday party in Kolkata, there is a very, very high probability that the birthday cake came from Kookie Jar. Not just the standard fare of black forest and chocolate cakes, and upside-down pineapple cakes, this place also specializes in lemon tarts, chocolate tarts, chocolate coated cookies, mocha biscuits, chocolate pyramids, toffee gateau, as well as savory treats like pizzas, paninis and chicken envelopes. Must try for visitors to Kolkata, I must say.
Address: 42A, Rawdon Street, Loudon Street Area, Kolkata
Kayani Bakery, Pune
If anybody ever says Shrewsbury biscuits, there is only one place that comes to mind – the iconic Kayani bakery which makes the original Shrewsbury biscuits in India. The biscuits are a standard fare in most Puneri households as well as in the luggage of visitors returning from or residents going to meet people in other cities and towns. The bakery opened in 1955 and since then has been immensely popular among Punekars. Apart from their biscuits, the bakery is also known for its loaves, bread rolls, buns and sponge cakes. The interiors of the bakery are definitely dated and that makes it even more charming, for sure. Once you enter, you pick what you want to order from the menu written in chalk on the blackboard behind you, then place your order at the wooden counter, and someone will pack it up and bring it to the counter for you, where you pay and collect it.
City Bakery, Mumbai
If you’re ever in Mumbai and crave some delicious croissants, look for this classic looking yellow and blue storefront signage with a chimney rising from the kitchen at the back in Worli. The specialties of City Bakery include plain croissants, stuffed croissants, pizzas, sandwiches, breads and brownies as well as pastries. The bakery opened in 1953 and has been a cult-favorite in Mumbai since then.
Karachi Bakery, Hyderabad
You might find the legendary Fruit biscuits of Karachi Bakery in a lot of departmental stores and supermarkets as well as in online stores across the country today. This iconic bakery in Moazzam Jahi Market, in Hyderabad, Telangana opened in 1953 and is very famous for its fruit biscuits, dil kush and plum cakes.
Address: Karachi Bakery, Nizam Shahi Rd, Mozamjahi Market, Goshamahal, Abids, Hyderabad
American Express Bakery, Mumbai
Its been more than a century since the American Express bakery opened in Byculla and Mumbaikars have been absolutely hooked to its ginger cookies and rusks. The bakery got its name from an express service it offered for delivering baked goods to American cruise ships that were docked at the harbors in the city, and since then the name stuck. Run by the generations of the Caravalho family, the bakery is housed in a heritage wrought-iron building, with a tagline – We knead your needs. They also have a branch at Bandra Hill Road. The bakery is known for their fresh breads and buns, Hungarian coffee cakes, mutton patties and a wide selection of sandwiches.
Address:
American Express Bakery, AEB House, 66A, Mirza Galib Marg, Byculla, Mumbai
American Express Bakery, Villa Sushma, Hill Road, Bandra West, Mumbai
Wenger’s, New Delhi
Located in the Connaught place, could this bakery be any more iconic? Owned by a Swiss Family with the name Wenger, it is one of the first establishments to open in Connaught Place. Back in the 1930s when it opened it used to be a popular fine dining place, and party/wedding venue. Today, this is where Delhiites go to relish chocolate Frankfurter rings, macarons, tarts, caramel custards, waffles or chocolates.
Address: Wenger’s, A 16, Connaught Place, New Delhi
Ellora’s Melting Moments, Dehradun
Any of your friends or family from Dehradun ever brought back a bright red box with golden lining filled with the most delicious, melt-in-your-mouth cookies you’ve ever tasted? Then Ellora’s is where the box came from. Located on Rajpur road, there are about three bakeries right next to Ellora’s, all claiming to be original (Remember Ghasitaram first original from Irffan Khan’s Angrezi Medium) so it might be a little confusing to find the right one if you’re new around there. A trip to Dehradun would actually be incomplete without sampling the jawbreaker candy from Ellora’s.
Address: Ellora’s Melting Moments, Rajpur Road, Dobhalwala, Chukkuwala, Dehradun
Creme by Ahdoo’s, Srinagar
In the beautiful city of Srinagar, there is a romance around just about everything in the city, the air has a magical feel to it. In this beautiful city, is the Ahdoo’s bakery, which has been around since 1918. Legend has it that the Maharaja of Kashmir, Hari Singh sent one of his subjects Mohammad Sultan to Kolkata to study to learn how to bake. With all he learnt, he came back and started Ahdoo’s bakery. Today it is so much more, with an adjoining restaurant and a hotel upstairs but the bakery still remains the heart of the brand. Just have a taste of the sheermal and bakarkhani roti or the many varieties of walnut biscuits, tarts and cakes to see. It is not for nothing that this usually is the first place most tourists visit when they land in Srinagar and the last place they go to pick up some cookies on their way to the airport.
Address: Residency Road, Regal Chowk, Raj Bagh, Srinagar
Landour Bakehouse, Landour
I saw this one in Ranveer Brar’s Himalayan adventure on Living Foodz, and it has been stuck in my head since then. If you walk up from Landour’s char dukan point, past the language school, this is where you will reach, in the Sisters’ Bazaar neighborhood. The brick storefront with its pastel green signage is photo-perfect as is the Instagram-friendly rusting minivan with the bakery’s branding across the street. But on a cool Landour afternoon, nothing is better than one of the bakery’s famous scones with strawberry jam and a hot cup of tea to go along with the view of an endless expanse of pine trees from the bakery’s seating area in the back. The bakery has a host of brownies, breads and cakes with charming names such as Mrs Friesen’s chocolate chip cookies and Jean Roland’s mother’s applesauce cake.
Address: Landour Bakehouse, Shop 152, Sisters Bazaar, Landour Cantt, Landour
I Heart Café, Bhimtal
Located almost exactly hallway between Nainital and Bhimtal, this cafe is known for their cups of cortada paired with brownies, Russian tea cakes and sugar cookies. The decor is hipster-chic, with exposed brick walls covered with street art, indie rock playing on the speakers and a back garden lit with fairy lights. Located just off the main street, the place is perfectly situated to pick up some of their famous apple pie and jumbo muffins and get going. But it is equally fun to get a slice of lemon cake and enjoy it in the back garden paired with some coffee and a good book.
I Heart Café, Mehra Estate, Mehragaon, Bhimtal
Smith Field Bakery, Chennai
Tasty tea cakes, biscuits and breads unmolested by artificial flavouring and preservatives, no wonder Chennaiites have been crazy about this bakery ever since it opened 135 years ago. It is not just the place to go for when you need the staples to go, but also a place you come to for celebrating every special occasion in your life, if you’re in Chennai. Whether it is the carrot and cheesecake or the crowd-pleasing butterscotch, birthdays and anniversaries in this city wouldn’t be possible without Smith Field.
Smith Field Bakery, 130, PB Road, Purasavakkam, Chennai
McRennett, Chennai
Ever since it fired up its ovens in 1903, customers have been lining up to get their hands on the tasty breads, egg puffs, glazed doughnuts, hot-cross buns and plum cakes. The bakery now has a number of outlets around the city so you’re never far from your fill of buttercream cakes this chain is also famous for.
McRennet, 31/14, Burkit Road, T. Nagar, Chennai
Albert Bakery, Bengaluru
One of the city’s oldest bakeries, this place is synonymous with the bheja puff (during Ramzan) and the kova naan it has been serving for the last 118 years. Located in the Frazer Town area, this unassuming-looking, family-run neighbourhood bakery has a deep menu filled with hits such as the mutton samosa, chicken cutlet, chicken puff, chicken seekh, chicken quiche as well as sweet treats such as the pineapple and macaron cakes.
Albert Bakery, 93, Mosque Road, Frazer Town, Bangalore
Vas & Sons, Mangalore
Set up in 1905, the Vas family has ever since been meeting Mangalore’s almost insatiable appetite for their carrot cakes, rusks, breads and savory snacks. The cakes are especially popular be they of the plum variety or the elaborately frosted birthday kind.
Vas & Sons, Vas Mahal, Bendore Circle, Mangalore