independent coffeehouses in dilli

rangichangi · Mar 20th, 2007, 13:22

i am curious about the existence of independent coffeehouses. and to be clear: i'm not talking about 'barista' or 'cafe coffee day' (or whatever that place is called). and further: i am wondering if such places exist which do not double as restaurants. i am seeking a true kaffeehaus--where the main attraction is coffee, and the chance patisserie plays only a minor role. where the patron is invited to mull over dusty tomes and tattered xword puzzles, where requests for 'frapps' are received with looks of puzzlement, where the opening hrs extend into the evening, cuz we coffee-drinkers like imbibing our brew at all hrs of the day.

i know this isn't 17th-century isfahan, or portland, oregon, for that matter. but i have to think that some small pocket of people in the dar al-qutb have a similar hankering for hodgepodge'd coffee hangouts. if you do know of such places, please let us know!

Aishah · Mar 20th, 2007, 19:13

I would love to know of some too! Barista's and Cafe Day have ghastly music - designed to send you away in a hurry I think so more people can come and sit inside, good for business. Oxford Book Store is one of my favourites but it gets very busy, food is yum and specializes more in teas than coffee so doesn't quite meet your criteria. I shall watch this thread for some answers too!

ferml · Mar 21st, 2007, 06:32

Hmmm... The closest thing that I can think of is Cafe Turtle in Khan Market. There's also one in Gk-1 (or maybe GK-2, I can't remember), but it has more of a restaurant feel.

pygmyhippo · Mar 21st, 2007, 06:36

india coffee house in c.p,its really old and in a derelict condition

rangichangi · Mar 21st, 2007, 10:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by ferml

Hmmm... The closest thing that I can think of is Cafe Turtle in Khan Market. There's also one in Gk-1 (or maybe GK-2, I can't remember), but it has more of a restaurant feel.

i was just in khan market the other day--where is cafe turtle? is it off the inner alley?

rangichangi · Mar 21st, 2007, 10:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by pygmyhippo

india coffee house in c.p,its really old and in a derelict condition

i like 'india coffee house,' but i think its decided emphasis upon edibles disqualifies it from being a genuine 'coffee house'. i mean, sure, it calls itself a coffee house; if i should begin to call myself a swedish doctor, the simple fact of naming myself such won't actually make my assertion true.

rangichangi · Mar 21st, 2007, 10:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aishah

I would love to know of some too! Barista's and Cafe Day have ghastly music - designed to send you away in a hurry I think so more people can come and sit inside, good for business. Oxford Book Store is one of my favourites but it gets very busy, food is yum and specializes more in teas than coffee so doesn't quite meet your criteria. I shall watch this thread for some answers too!

where is 'oxford book store'?

PeakXV · Mar 21st, 2007, 10:36

Does it have to serve Real Coffee (re: Filter Coffee) .... or will Instant Coffee (re: Nescafe et al) suffice?

rangichangi · Mar 21st, 2007, 11:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeakXV

Does it have to serve Real Coffee (re: Filter Coffee) .... or will Instant Coffee (re: Nescafe et al) suffice?

hmm. i'm inclinded to say 'nay'. i'm certainly open to unorthodox coffee establishments, but i'm also keen to sample local bean roasts and such. which is all to say, if i have my druthers, i'd just as well not patronize a cafe that can't get its act together to serve real brew. nevertheless, things being as they are, my interests would be piqued somewhat if some pseudo-barista offered me a cup of 'nescafe partners' blend'.

Tapestry · Mar 21st, 2007, 11:14

Quote:

i was just in khan market the other day--where is cafe turtle?

Rangichangi - Cafe Turtle is above the Full Circle bookstore in Khan Market. Actually that's where I was the day I called you to find out about Anokhi! You'd probably like Cafe Turtle, they have food and desserts, too. I figured you already knew about it since you were giving me the 411 on Khan Market!

rangichangi · Mar 21st, 2007, 11:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tapestry

Rangichangi - Cafe Turtle is above the Full Circle bookstore in Khan Market. Actually that's where I was the day I called you to find out about Anokhi! You'd probably like Cafe Turtle, they have food and desserts, too. I figured you already knew about it since you were giving me the 411 on Khan Market!

hey! yes, i should know about cafe turtle, but since i've already carved a fixed path through khan market (anokhi, bahri brothers booksellers, anokhi again) i'm sure i've simply missed it.

oh, and sorry if anokhi was a disappointment. when i went the other day, i was sort of unimpressed with their current stock. i think they were runnning low on clothes!

rangichangi · Mar 21st, 2007, 11:23

and fyi, these are some guidelines for 'independent coffee shops' from a site on which i contribute:

Quote:

what types of establishments are suitable for review on cafe tableaux?
1. shops capable of making all varieties of coffee and espresso beverages.
2. establishments whose main draw is the food are most likely not cafe tableaux fodder, unless that food is not able to be consumed without said coffee, such as doughnuts, pastries, or other baked treats. use your best judgment.
3. the shops must be independently run and be place specific. a shop that has a few locations in a single city is fine, but once they start to grow too large they wear out their welcome on cafe tableaux. see question re: chains below.

why can i not review chain coffee outlets on cafe tableaux? their coffee tastes great!
that may be so, but we have a couple of reasons to keep the site focused on independent establishments:
1. they need more help getting publicity/business. although cafe tableaux is not a superpages or citysearch level operation, we have the benefit of focusing solely on coffee establishments and any publicity on the internet is better than none for most small businesses. we hope that this body of related texts will prove that there is still strength in the independent coffeeshop community and we hope to support it in any way we can!
2. although we don’t believe we can stop it, as travelers, patrons, and observers, we hope to at least take our money and support out of the game of homogenizing the planet through corporate run businesses and predatory capitalism. we believe that the excitement of finding something new, even if it is mediocre or startling, is more fulfilling than roaming through a continuous comfort zone that spans from seattle to moscow and back around.
3. the corporate places all have the same name and have thousands of locations in every city. we don’t know how to construct a database to accommodate this lack of creativity.

http://www.cafetableaux.com

Tapestry · Mar 21st, 2007, 11:23

Are you kidding? Anokhi was great! I'm wearing one of my new tops now. My only problem there was putting 75% of the stuff I had picked out back on the racks because I just don't need that many new clothes. The store is now one of my new favs.

PeakXV · Mar 21st, 2007, 11:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by rangichangi

hmm. i'm inclinded to say 'nay'. i'm certainly open to unorthodox coffee establishments, but i'm also keen to sample local bean roasts and such.

Why not brew your own with the best beans in town:

South Indian Coffee & Tea - 131, Khanna market, Lodi Colony

rangichangi · Mar 21st, 2007, 11:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tapestry

Are you kidding? Anokhi was great! I'm wearing one of my new tops now. My only problem there was putting 75% of the stuff I had picked out back on the racks because I just don't need that many new clothes. The store is now one of my new favs.

awesome! i'm also wearing a new top from there. i had no idea that a tank top that has a drawstring at the waist could be so cool! go figure.

Mar 20th, 2007, 13:22	#1
rangichangi Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: delhi Posts: 36	independent coffeehouses in dilli i am curious about the existence of independent coffeehouses. and to be clear: i'm not talking about 'barista' or 'cafe coffee day' (or whatever that place is called). and further: i am wondering if such places exist which do not double as restaurants. i am seeking a true kaffeehaus--where the main attraction is coffee, and the chance patisserie plays only a minor role. where the patron is invited to mull over dusty tomes and tattered xword puzzles, where requests for 'frapps' are received with looks of puzzlement, where the opening hrs extend into the evening, cuz we coffee-drinkers like imbibing our brew at all hrs of the day. i know this isn't 17th-century isfahan, or portland, oregon, for that matter. but i have to think that some small pocket of people in the dar al-qutb have a similar hankering for hodgepodge'd coffee hangouts. if you do know of such places, please let us know!

Mar 20th, 2007, 19:13	#2
Aishah She-who-must-be-obeyed! Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Jaisalmer Posts: 5,685	Coffee houses I would love to know of some too! Barista's and Cafe Day have ghastly music - designed to send you away in a hurry I think so more people can come and sit inside, good for business. Oxford Book Store is one of my favourites but it gets very busy, food is yum and specializes more in teas than coffee so doesn't quite meet your criteria. I shall watch this thread for some answers too!

Mar 21st, 2007, 06:32	#3
ferml Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 32	Coffee House in Delhi Hmmm... The closest thing that I can think of is Cafe Turtle in Khan Market. There's also one in Gk-1 (or maybe GK-2, I can't remember), but it has more of a restaurant feel.

Mar 21st, 2007, 10:36	#8
PeakXV Naan.tering Nabob Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Abode of Glooscap Posts: 4,511	Does it have to serve Real Coffee (re: Filter Coffee) .... or will Instant Coffee (re: Nescafe et al) suffice? __________________ What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us. ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes Don't go to India ~ Pre-trip Warnings & Misconceptions?

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Mar 21st, 2007, 06:36	#4
pygmyhippo Account Closed Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: new delhi Posts: 21	india coffee house in c.p,its really old and in a derelict condition

Mar 21st, 2007, 11:23	#13
Tapestry Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Delhi Posts: 326	Are you kidding? Anokhi was great! I'm wearing one of my new tops now. My only problem there was putting 75% of the stuff I had picked out back on the racks because I just don't need that many new clothes. The store is now one of my new favs.

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