While the world celebrates tea on May 21 every year, for many Indians, it is not just another beverage. It is part of gatherings, meetings, friendships, college life, office breaks and everyday comfort.
In Delhi, chai has long been tied to routine and memory. For many, it is the first drink of the morning, a part of evening family time, a reason for neighbourhood elders to meet, a college saviour and an excuse for office gossip.
These tea corners, old and new, reflect Delhi’s emotional bond with chai.
Sudama Tea Stall
For Delhi University students, Sudama Tea Stall has long been a go-to place for chai. Known for its humble setting and iconic masala chai, the stall has been serving students and faculty for decades.
Located near Ramjas College and Kirori Mal College on the main road of Delhi University’s North Campus, the stall holds a special place in student life. For over 30 years, Sudama Ji, as he is fondly called, has been serving his popular masala chai to generations of students and faculty.
His chai, flavoured with ginger, cardamom and a touch of cinnamon, has a loyal following. The love for Sudama’s chai is not limited to Delhi University students, as people come from across Delhi NCR to have a cup.
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Jain Coffee House
Though Jain Coffee House is largely known on social media for its fruit sandwiches, regulars know it equally for its chai. The café, which has been running since 1948, is tucked inside the narrow lanes of Old Delhi and is not easy to spot. For many years, only locals knew about it.
The coffee house and its fruit sandwiches were started by late Lala Shambhu Dayal Jain in 1948. Jain had migrated to Delhi from Shikarpur in western Uttar Pradesh.
On a first visit, one may wonder whether the much-talked-about Jain Coffee House really serves the best fruit sandwiches. The ambience can surprise first-timers. The café is over seven decades old, dimly lit and shows little sign of renovation. Even today, many things inside belong to the period when it was established by Lala Shambhu Dayal Jain.
The setting takes visitors away from the present and offers a glimpse of what Old Delhi may have looked like in the 1940s.
Waziruddin Ji Tea Stall
Hidden away in Lane 10, Gali Madarse Wali, opposite Gate 1 near Jama Masjid, Waziruddin Ji Tea Stall has been serving late-night visitors for around 20 years. It is best known for makkhan chai, or butter tea.
A line written on the wall reads: “Tashreef toh farmaiyeh, mashwarah kar lijiye, mashwareh mein khair hai.”
The first thing most people ask after taking their first sip is the secret behind the tea. Waziruddin Ji usually gives the same answer: why not observe yourself? The secret, he suggests, is simple: it is made with love and by his own hands.
It is also his way of welcoming everyone, from weary travellers to college students wandering through the lanes at night.
What has kept him a favourite among people who travel across the city is something he created on a whim 13 years ago: makkhan chai. “In life, one needs to keep experimenting,” he said, as if nothing else would be good enough.
Late at night, the narrow lanes around Jama Masjid fill with students, photographers, travellers and groups of friends ending their food walks with a hot cup of butter tea. For many Delhiites, an Old Delhi night feels incomplete without stopping at Waziruddin Ji’s stall.
Zahra
Zahra, now a popular dine-in space in Delhi NCR, is known not only for its biryani or shawarma. During the Covid period, it introduced Tandoori Kulhad Chai at Tikona Park. The drink went viral, demand grew across Delhi, and Tandoori Kulhad Chai soon became a trend.
Its tagline is still remembered by many: “Tum chai kehna, main mohabbat samjhunga.”
The smoky flavour of kulhad chai offered a new experience. The tagline and videos of its preparation spread widely online. From a student hangout to a meeting point for friends, Zahra became one of the most talked-about chai spots in Delhi NCR.
The sight of hot chai being poured into burning kulhads became one of the most recognisable food trends of that period. Even today, many people associate Zahra with nostalgia, late-night chai scenes and conversations with friends.
Netaji Chai Wale
Bhola Vaishno Tea Stall, popularly known as Netaji Chai Wale or Netaji ki Chai ki Dukan, is located between Mohan Singh Place and Pracheen Hanuman Mandir in Connaught Place, New Delhi.
Open till 2 am, the tea stall has remained one of central Delhi’s most loved chai addas for around 30 years.
From office-goers and theatre artistes to students and late-night visitors roaming around Connaught Place, people from different walks of life stop here for chai and conversation.
Over the years, Netaji Chai Wale has become more than just a tea stall. It is one of those places where Delhi’s old adda culture still survives. People stand around discussing politics, cricket, office stress, cinema and everyday life over tiny glasses of hot chai.
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