Coffee in India
07. Dec, 2009 
14 Comments
Given that India is predominantly a tea drinking society, thanks in part to the British, coffee is playing a bit of a catch up game. With tastes changing and India adapting more Western practices, it’s getting easier to find that cup of good java juice. Order a cup of coffee in most hotels and you’ll be served a pot of hot water with a single serving of Sanka brand instant coffee. Some places you won’t have a choice but to accept this. Personally if that is my option, I would much rather settle for a cup of chai.
Espresso can be found in some of the high end hotels in Delhi, the northern region and other large city centers. Keep in mind, what you will be served is straight espresso. No lattes, no mochas…gasp, just straight espresso. While you may not enjoy this as I do, you can always doctor it up with a little milk and sugar.
International tourists have been ascending on India en mass since the late 1990′s bringing with them their varied coffee tastes. And now with India’s emerging urban youth, the need for coffee cafes became obvious to Indian businessmen looking to capitalize on this opportunity. If you’re looking for Starbucks in India, you’re out of luck as the company has postponed plans to venture into this country. What you will find are Indian born coffee chains popping up with myriad of similarities to your favorite coffee chain here in the U.S.A. Barista is one of the more popular chains (230 locations across India) offering a full espresso drink menu, sweets/desserts and Indian sandwiches. Unfortunately the pricing is similar to US joints. As much as I try to steer away from non Indian food options during my trips, when I see a Barista on the road it’s a sure bet I’ll pop in. Modern interior appointments including large oversized seating, appealing paint choices and TV’s throughout make this a comfortable choice for a quick jolt.
Another option with more locations throughout India is Cafe Coffee Day, also an Indian born company serving their clientele through 400 retail shops and 900 coffee kiosks. Found in city centers and growing into smaller towns, Coffee Day as it is more commonly known, also serves up a full espresso bar with sweets/desserts and food choices. Pricing here is similar to Barista. Retail shops are set up eerily like those found in the US; Bright lighting, wood floors, leather and cloth seating with plenty of tables for resting your drinks. India is obsessed with TV and cricket so you’ll find numerous TV’s playing the latest game here.
South India has been a coffee drinking region much longer than the North giving birth to the famous Indian Coffee House chain. It’s first incarnation as India Coffee House began in the early 1940′s, but by the mid 1950′s the company shut down due to policy changes by the Indian Coffee Board. Reborn in 1957 by the Indian Coffee Workers Co-Operative Society (founded in Bangalore), the first Indian Coffee House opened in New Delhi. 
From there the company has grown to nearly 400 locations operating across India today. Espresso is not a menu option here but you will find hot coffee for Rs 6 along with a limited beverage offering. The company has a rich history worth reading about. Today it is still owned and operated by it’s employees via 13 separate societies throughout the country. During my visit to Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, I stumbled onto one of their locations. Not familiar with the company at the time, I was expecting to order an espresso drink. What I found was hot coffee and a packed room of Indian buisnessmen, workers, government employees and NO tourists but myself and my travel partner. Conversation flowed from each table while staff in bright crisp white uniforms scurried about serving the crowd.
Check the website links above for each company’s locations based on your travel itinerary. If you wander off the main roads into the village life, you’re chances of finding anything but Sanka will dry up. Don’t panic though, chai can still be found everywhere in India.
© 2009 FullStopIndia.com India Travel Blog
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Five years, 5 trips, countless miles and I've still only scratched the surface of traveling India.
Full Stop India is all about places to stay, to eat, to visit and about places to skip based on my travels. These experiences span 5 star to budget so no-one is excluded. Bookmark my site, visit often, comment on topics and email me with suggestions.
Happy Travels! Chris
Just an observation-CCD operates over 850 cafes,over 1,000. Kiosks and over over 6,000 vending points across the country.
Thanks for the numbers.
hey beautiful website,when are you and your travel partner planning to head to west of india??
Thanks! I’m still working on this fall’s travel plans and open to suggestions. Bombay is scheduled for Diwali 2011.
I wanna go to Buck-stars
Yes, that was a hilarious find on the back roads of Bir, Himachal Pradesh. Just a short walk in either direction leads you to the many monasteries in the area. I think I saw more foreigners than locals but the monasteries were gorgeous.