There’s something innately beautiful about listening to the gentle pitter-patter of rain and tracing the rivulets racing down the window, while you sit in a cozy cafe, sipping on a single origin coffee — intoxicating aroma filling the air. In sharp contrast, but always as much fun, is to zip around the city on your Vespa, getting drenched in the rain and taking in the earthy smell of petrichor.
It doesn’t matter how you enjoy the monsoons, warming up in a cafe after a ride, or curling up with your book in a nook, these cafes around the country have something for you. The pluviophile in you will love these spaces with curated details, plush vibe and menus featuring everything from buttery, flaky croissants to generously laden toasts. Check out our picks of cafes, and tell us your favourite.
1. United Coffee House, New Delhi
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United Coffee House is rooted in antiquity. Conceptualised in 1942 by Lala Hans Raj Kalra, this rustic coffee house in Lutyens’ Delhi is a living reminder of India’s freedom struggle, heritage and vibrant culture. Having once catered to a clientele that included the likes of Jawaharlal Nehru, Khushwant Singh, Indira Gandhi and Hema Malini, this vintage café is a haven for a taste of Indian history. With a 23-feet high ceiling, cups of soul-stirring coffee and memories of a golden age, United Coffee House is a relic of a time gone by.
2. Records Coffee, Mumbai
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Nestled within the quaint lanes of Pali Hill in Mumbai, records.coffee by Veranda pairs organic and hand-brewed cups of Chikkamagaluru coffee with a timeless collection of vinyl records. Located within the Bloom Boutique Hotel, it has been built in collaboration with The Revolver Club, serving as a home to a diverse record collection that begins with David Bowie and ends at Taylor Swift. Operating on the crackling sound of a turntable that takes us back to a nostalgic era, Records Coffee serves up many a brew, allowing you to indulge in matcha, smoothies and all things coffee.
3. Bar Palladio, Jaipur
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Bar Palladio is a European getaway that is nestled within the Pink City of Jaipur. It crafts “an ode to Italian style and cuisine, viewed through the prism of a Mughal dreamworld.” This dining experience is located in a restored garden belvedere of the Narain Niwas Palace Hotel. Serving up delicious plates of Italian food, this breathtaking courtyard — complete with several nooks, crannies and terraces — is where Rajasthan meets Wes Anderson. With peacocks, mango trees and sapphire blue galore, Bar Palladio Jaipur is a taste of royalty through an unforgettable culinary prism.
4. Ciclo Café, Chennai
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Built within a bungalow along the busy streets of Kotturpuram in Chennai, Ciclo Café is a childhood memory for every cycling enthusiast. Fondly knows as “India’s First Cycling Cafe,” Ciclo was founded in March 2015, and singularly offers the best of both worlds: the sale, purchase and expert servicing of premium bicycles, along with a slice of pizza for your troubles while you wait. The interiors, painted in earthy and warm tones, display rust-covered cement tiles and exposed brick walls, wrapping you up in a familiar and comforting ambience. With light fixtures, seating, wall art and tables, all crafted from dismantled cycle parts, Ciclo magically blends two worlds together — all while the scent of freshly ground coffee wafts in the air.
5. Maai, Goa
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Tucked within a picturesque, nearly 125-year-old Portuguese villa, Maai is an eatery and coffee shop that plates food “from the soul of Goa.” Built in brick and mortar in Assagao, Maai feels like an all-too-familiar home that serves up its vibrant culinary heritage with pride. Maai, meaning motherland, offers traditional Goan Portuguese-inspired curries, small plates and coffees, all while enveloping its patrons in warm yellow lights, vintage photographs, and a weathered aura lensed through a film camera.
Also, read: 5 Instagram-Worthy Restaurants To Check Out In India
