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filter coffee at Madras Coffee House before my train?
Central's Coffee House counter opens 5.30.
Worth knowing it's counter service only at that hour, no seating until the main hall opens around 7. If your train leaves before then, plan to stand with your tumbler or take it to the platform.
the one inside central is fine but overpriced & the queue at 6am is mostly porters. walk 5 min to the rayapetta side, small stalls there do proper davara tumbler filter coffee for like 15 bucks. tell them less sugar or they'll drown it
Rayapetta stalls thin out on Sundays, so check the day, and carry small change since nobody there breaks a 500.
those stalls switch to tea after about 10am so catch the kaapi early, and the davara set costs extra if you want to sit
Less sugar tip is real, they pour it heavy.
good davara sets are the ones still warm from the previous pour, ask for a fresh one
Fifteen rupees sounds about right for a street stall, but ask for the coffee in a paper cup if you're carrying luggage, glass davara sets don't travel well.
If you've got an hour to kill, the coffee at the station is fine but the vibe is nothing special. i'd say grab it and then wander the platforms, its more about stretching your legs than the cup. also check if your connecting train is on the same side, central is huge and you don't wanna sprint at 6.45.
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Best way to pay at Chennai bars in 2026?
upi one-time setup needs an aadhaar, no way around it
tbh even with aadhaar the otp goes to an Indian number, so a tourist sim is the other wall u hit.
only with an aadhaar linked to an Indian phone
Passport works for the tourist sim though
Cards work at most sit-down bars but smaller places near Hoooli will push UPI. As a visitor you can't easily get UPI without an Indian bank account, so plan on cash from ATMs (usually around 20 to 25 rupees per withdrawal fee).
Some places only take cash after 11pm.
Makes sense, last orders kick in around then and the till guy switches to cash only so he can close out faster.
yeah the ATM fee is small but your own bank back home will likely slap a foreign transaction charge on top, so check that first. Also many ATMs in Chennai run out of cash on weekends, so pull during the week if u can.
good point on the withdrawal fee but the bigger hit is the DCC prompt at the machine, always decline the conversion and let ur home bank do it. also keep small notes handy since bars rarely have change for a 2000
Carry a card too, many bars add a 3% surcharge on it.