Chondu Hotel and Restaurant (ছন্দু হোটেল এন্ড রেস্টুরেন্ট) has been feeding the Dhaka–Chattogram Highway since 1984 from Paduar Bazar Bishwa Road, Cumilla, and is widely called the first eatery on the highway. Its legend rests on one plate: slow-cooked, water-free beef bhuna with alu bhorta, dal and steaming rice, at prices far below typical highway restaurants. Truckers, families, students and food lovers all stop here, day and night, because the taste has barely changed in 40 years.
Good to know: despite its name, Chondu Hotel and Restaurant Cumilla is not a place to stay. In Bangladesh, “hotel” traditionally means an eatery. This guide covers food, prices and locations only.
Chondu Hotel at a Glance
| Cuisine | Authentic Bengali home-style cooking with Mughlai touches and Cumilla specialties |
| Known for | Signature Beef Bhuna, Alu Bhorta, dal & rice; bhorta platters; fish curries |
| Founded | 1984, by Abdur Razzaq (“Chondu Mia”); now run by his son Tofayel Ahmed |
| Main location | Rail Gate, Paduar Bazar Bishwa Road, Dhaka–Chattogram Highway, Cumilla 3500 |
| Other branches | Tomsom Bridge, Cantonment, Laksam Road, and Chattogram Road (as “Bin Razzaq Hotel & Restaurant”) |
| Operating hours | Open 24 hours, daily (main Paduar Bazar branch, per its Google listing) |
| Price range | About ৳150–400 per person, outstanding value for a highway stop |
| Service | Dine-in, takeaway & parcel; event catering |
| Google rating | 4.1 / 5 from nearly 4,000 reviews |
Culinary Heritage & Local Glory
The story of chondu hotel and restaurant cumilla began when Abdur Razzaq, known to everyone as Chondu Mia, moved from running Iqbal Hotel in Cumilla town to a tiny roadside stall at Paduar Bazar Bishwa Road in 1984. Business took off in 1986 when the highway was completed. He started with just three tables for 18 diners, and a full plate of beef, alu bhorta, dal and rice for only ৳7.
In 2007 the stall grew into today’s large restaurant, now run by Chondu Mia’s son, Tofayel Ahmed. Remarkably, Chondu has never signed stop-over contracts with bus companies, as many highway restaurants do. It relies purely on loyal, returning customers, and drivers who have used this route for 30 years still stop here.
The Secret of Chondu’s Beef Bhuna
Around 60 kg of beef is cooked here every day, using spice blends ground in-house plus a few secret masalas. Each maund (about 40 kg) of meat gets around 8 kg of onions, along with homemade sour yoghurt, poppy-seed paste and nut paste.
Not a drop of water is added. The beef cooks slowly in its own juices, and some of the rendered fat is then used to fry onions for the final tel bagar (tempering). The result is deep, glossy and home-style, which is why it’s the dish everyone means when they search for famous food in cumilla chondu hotel.
Dining Ambience & Visual Experience
Step inside at almost any hour and you’ll find a busy, cheerful dining hall: truckers finishing a 3 AM dinner, families on a road trip and local office workers on a lunch break. Floors are tiled and the kitchen is open for guests to look at, with onions cut by machine. Waiters move quickly between tables with steaming rice, red-gold beef and mustard-oil salad.
The best chondu hotel and restaurant photos capture that half plate of beef, four to five thick pieces in glossy gravy, next to a mound of alu bhorta. Most chondu hotel and restaurant cumilla photos shared by travellers show the same scene: a simple, steaming, generous plate that tastes like home cooking.
chondu hotel and restaurant menu & Price Guide (2026)
Chondu doesn’t publish a menu online. Confirmed prices below come from interviews with the owner in recent press features; other items are typical of the chondu hotel menu but vary by day and branch, so ask at the counter. Prices may have risen slightly in 2026.
Local tip: Cumilla’s world-famous rasamalai is traditionally bought from Matri Bhandar in Monohorpur, in the city centre. Pick up a box on your way in or out of town to round off your Chondu meal.
Location, Accessibility & Highway Travel Guide
chondu hotel cumilla location: the original branch sits at the Rail Gate, Paduar Bazar Bishwa Road, where the Cumilla city road meets the Dhaka–Chattogram Highway (Cumilla 3500). It’s a well-known junction, so any driver will recognise “Paduar Bazar, Chondu Hotel”.
- From Kandirpar (city centre): take a CNG auto-rickshaw or easy-bike south towards Paduar Bazar Bishwa Road, about 4 km and roughly 15–20 minutes depending on traffic.
- From Cumilla Railway Station: hire a CNG and ask for “Paduar Bazar Bishwa Road, Chondu Hotel”. It’s a short city ride of about 20–25 minutes.
- From the Dhaka–Chattogram Highway: the restaurant is right on the highway at the Paduar Bazar Bishwa Road junction, about 100 km from Dhaka. Private cars and microbuses can pull in easily.
- By intercity bus: because Chondu has no bus-company contracts, long-distance coaches won’t schedule a meal break here. Get off at the Paduar Bazar Bishwa Road stop, a major boarding point, and walk over.
- City branches: for a quicker in-town meal, try the Tomsom Bridge, Laksam Road or Cantonment outlets.
Planning a stop? Book a table at Chondu Hotel through TripsGent or call +880 1711-292650.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most famous items on the Chondu Hotel and Restaurant menu?
The star is Chondu Special Beef Bhuna, slow-cooked without water and served as a half plate of four to five pieces for about ৳180. Order it with alu bhorta, dal and rice, each around ৳10, for the classic Chondu highway meal.
Where is Chondu Hotel and Restaurant Cumilla located?
The original Chondu Hotel is at the Rail Gate, Paduar Bazar Bishwa Road, on the Dhaka–Chattogram Highway in Cumilla, about 100 km from Dhaka. Other branches are at Tomsom Bridge, Cantonment, Laksam Road and Chattogram Road, which trades as Bin Razzaq Hotel.
What are the operating hours of Chondu Hotel & Restaurant?
The main Paduar Bazar Bishwa Road branch is listed as open 24 hours, every day, which is why truckers and night travellers eat there even at 3 AM. City branches may keep shorter hours, so call ahead if you plan a late visit.
Is Chondu Hotel & Restaurant suitable for family dining and highway transit stops?
Yes. Chondu has a large, busy dining hall with an open kitchen, quick service and very affordable prices, making it ideal for families and road-trippers. It sits right on the Dhaka–Chattogram Highway, so private cars and microbuses can stop easily.
Stopping in Cumilla? Make It Chondu
Whether you’re driving the Dhaka–Chattogram Highway or exploring Cumilla, a plate of Chondu’s beef bhuna and alu bhorta is a true taste of Bangladeshi road-trip heritage. Hungry for more? Explore iconic regional food guides like Star Hotel & Kabab and Abesh Hotel & Biriyani House in our Explore Menu section, or browse every pick on the Global Exposure page.