Kolkata's nightlife is centred on Park Street, which has been the city's entertainment spine since the 1960s. Several of its establishments are institutions — live-music venues and restaurants that have operated for decades, with a distinctly retro character you won't find elsewhere in India. Trincas and Peter Cat are among the long-running names.
Camac Street and Shakespeare Sarani, adjacent to Park Street, hold newer bars and lounges.
Salt Lake and New Town in the east have the modern club and microbrewery scene, serving the IT population, along with several mall-based venues.
Hotel bars across the city, particularly the older grand hotels, offer a more sedate option with considerable atmosphere.
Kolkata's licensing is relatively relaxed compared with some Indian states, and venues generally run later than in Chennai or Pune. The legal drinking age in West Bengal is 21.
The city's more distinctive evening culture, though, is not about alcohol. The Indian Coffee House on College Street has been a centre of intellectual and political argument since the 1940s and remains busy into the evening. Book launches, theatre, classical music recitals and film screenings run year-round at venues including Nandan and the Academy of Fine Arts. During Durga Puja the entire city is awake all night for five consecutive nights, with crowds walking between pandals until dawn.