Teatime Talks

Sometimes, the tea itself is a conversation starter. Café Niloufer’s Chai is a quintessential Hyderabadi favorite, preferred as the ideal brew that not only makes for a perfect start to the day but is the pick-me-up beverage that sees you through it. The very first Café Niloufer outlet you have seen must be the one at Hyderabad International Airport. Well, the first outlet actually dates back to 1978 when Shri A. Babu Rao founded Café Niloufer in Lakdikapul in the heart of the City. His passion was to create a unique blend of the classic Irani Chai which would delight the ‘Tea Lover’ – a passion that saw the very Chai become a part of the City’s culture gaining tremendous popularity. In fact, the daily footfalls at the Lakdikapul outlet exceeded 20,000 which in due course would inspire the creation of a chain of outlets across the city. The recent outlet at HITEC City – the IT hub of Hyderabad is in fact one of the largest Tea Cafés in the world.

Taking a ‘leaf’ from History, the classic Irani Chai originated in Persia and was brought to India in the 19th and 20th centuries by Persian merchants. Since then, it has been a popular drink and the taste has evolved over time. The eternal question: Why is Café Niloufer’s Irani Chai so famous has more than one answer. The first as already discussed is the master blend which has not only been fine-tuned and perfected but also famous for its consistency w.r.t. The flavour and aroma. The second is the way it is served. Yes, with the utmost care where one feels at home in a Café Niloufer outlet. The warmth, the hospitality, the ‘personalized experience’ adds to the brew. And, of course the accompaniments with the tea like the Bun Maska, the Hyderabadi special biscuits – the Osmania biscuit being among the favorites, and other confectioneries create an aura of the old-world charm.

Café Niloufer’s Chai… There’s a lot to say about it!