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!

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!

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.

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

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

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.

where is 'oxford book store'?

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'.

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!

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

http://www.cafetableaux.com

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.

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

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

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.