Food · Teesta Bazar
A dhaba lunch by the Teesta
Stop for a plain, hot lunch at one of the roadside dhabas: rice, dal, a vegetable, pickle and, on some days, a river-fish curry. The warmest meal of a hill trip, eaten at 200 m with the Teesta below.
Teesta Bazar feeds the drivers of NH10, which means quick, cheap and filling food. A rice thali with dal, a seasonal vegetable, a fried item and pickle costs about ₹150–250, with refills of rice and dal. Momos, chowmein and egg curry rice are always on offer, and tea arrives in small glasses for ₹15–30.
Some dhabas cook fish curry with rice, made with fish from the river or from the plains depending on the day and the season; ask what the fish is and where it came from. In the cooler months you may find saag of mustard or spinach, and in spring, squash shoots. The cooking is Nepali and Bengali in roughly equal parts, which is what you would expect of a town on the road between Siliguri and the hills.
Pick a busy place, where food turns over fast, and eat what has just been cooked. Drink bottled or filtered water. If you are going up to Kalimpong afterwards, an early lunch here gives the 16 km climb time to settle before the bends begin.
Cost: ₹150–300 pp
Questions people ask
Good to know
What should I eat at Teesta Bazar?
A rice thali with dal, vegetables and pickle for about ₹150–250, momos or chowmein, and on some days a fish curry with rice. Ask what fish is on offer. Choose a busy dhaba where the food is freshly cooked.
Is there vegetarian food at Teesta Bazar?
Yes. Every dhaba serves a vegetarian thali of rice, dal, a seasonal vegetable and pickle, and vegetable momos or chowmein. If you need food without onion and garlic, ask before ordering; most cooks will try.
Is it a good lunch stop on the way to Kalimpong or Gangtok?
Yes. Teesta Bazar is roughly halfway between Siliguri and Kalimpong, and on the old route between Darjeeling and Gangtok. Shared jeeps often pause here. A short lunch stop also breaks up the winding climb that follows.
Also in Teesta Bazar
More things to do
Adventure · 2–3 hoursA rafting run on the TeestaTeesta Bazar · ₹800–1,500 pp (indicative)
Viewpoints · 1.5–2 hoursTriveni, where the Rangeet meets the TeestaTeesta Bazar · Free · car ₹800–1,500 return
Culture and history · 1 hourThe river town after the 2023 floodTeesta Bazar · ₹50–150 for tea and snacks