Got a cup of tea with you? If no, get it right away & then read on.

“If you are cold, tea will warm you;

If you are too heated, it will cool you;

If you are depressed, it will cheer you;

If you are excited, it will calm you”

– William Ewart Gladstone

I grew up in a middle class, north indian, baniya family. We celebrate everything over chai.  People have come over lunch – we make tea. They have had lunch – we offer tea. They have stayed back till evening – we force tea. And once they have gone, we soothe ourselves over sips of tea.

I never realised when & how I fell in love with tea & mugs. And how I grew from small china cups to full size mugs. To indulge the ‘chai lover’ in you & me, I present to you a place that every tea addict and/ or the friend of a tea addict would love to visit – the Cha Bar, Delhi.

What do you find at Cha Bar?

You find Chai, Chai & Chai at Cha Bar. All kinds of tea, from all the places across the globe in all kinds of mugs, cups & glasses with a variety of snacks to go with.

They have got an extensive menu that runs into at least 5-6 pages of tea varieties. Every tea has got a description attached to it that takes you straight to the place from where the leaves were picked – to the kitchen where it is brewed – to your table for you to have it.

You may choose either a sandwich or a pasta or a couple of pastries to accompany your chai & let the magic happen. I loved their pastries/ cakes specially the red velvet one.

What should you do at Cha Bar?

It goes without saying that you should order a tea for yourself. You should order an English Breakfast, a truck driver, a ginger tea, a cardamom tea & anything else that you like. Order a lot to eat along with it & spend at least a couple of hours either reading a book or chatting up with a friend.

Pour the tea through the sieve & listen to the musical sound, add some milk & experience the color change, sprinkle some sugar, if you want- and there, your cup of tea is ready!

 

Can’t wait to visit Cha Bar?

Address: – N-81, Barakhamba Road, Block N, Cannaught Place, New Delhi, Delhi 110001

Commute:  Either take the metro to Rajeev Chowk & an auto from there or get down at Barakhamba metro station & walk across the street. Oh yes, take metro either way. I am a big fan of metro (post on that coming up soon).

Seating/ Ambience: Excellent Ambience & comfortable seats. Perfect for two or a group of four.

Best day to visit: Monday to Friday & Weekends 🙂

Best time to visit: Morning around 11 am (before lunch time as Cha bar gets populated pretty soon).

Cost: INR 500 (average)/ INR 1000 (if you really hog)

Secret: Don’t try their pasta!

Selfie Tip: The best selfies can be clicked near the entrance area, around the stairs, in the oxford book store (next to the Cha Bar) & of course, while sipping tea.

Chai Cheers!

P.S. – They serve coffee too.

Got any recommendations for great tea cafes in & around Delhi? Let me know in comments.