01MustT. Nagar
Murugan Idli Shop
ORDER
Idli with podi and ghee
Idlis so soft they barely hold, with a spread of chutneys and podi. The benchmark that never slipped.
vouch
vouchforit.club/chennai
Tiffin Loyalist
Filter coffee, tiffin, and the best of Madras
15 spots · Chennai
Breakfast
7 spots02MustTriplicane
Ratna Cafe
ORDER
Idli, extra sambar
Famous for one thing: the sambar they drown your idli in, again and again. Since 1948. The idli's just the vessel.
03MustMylapore
Mylai Karpagambal Mess
ORDER
Filter coffee, the tiffin
A Mylapore temple-side mess since 1949. Tiffin and filter coffee the way Madras always has. No frills, all soul.
04Mylapore
Rayar's Mess
ORDER
Idli, pongal, bajji
A cramped Mylapore relic that shuts by mid-morning. Idli, pongal, bajji, then it's gone. Old Madras, exactly as it was.
05Kodambakkam
Saravana Bhavan
ORDER
Ghee roast, filter coffee
The tiffin name that took Madras global, and the Chennai originals still deliver. Ghee roast, a full meals, kaapi.
06Egmore
Sangeetha
ORDER
Mini tiffin, rava dosa
The dependable veg tiffin chain locals actually rate. Mini tiffin sampler, rava dosa, quick kaapi. Always solid.
07Egmore
Mathsya
ORDER
North Indian thali, chaat
The Egmore veg standby for a change of pace: good North Indian thali and chaat. Comfortable, consistent, easy.
Street
1 spot01Mylapore
Jannal Kadai
ORDER
Bajji through the window
Literally 'window shop': hot bajji and bonda passed through a Mylapore window for decades. Evening snack, cash, joyful.
Meals
1 spot01Chepauk
Nair Mess
ORDER
Fish meals, mutton
Where non-veg Madras eats a proper meals. Fish fry, mutton, unlimited rice on a banana leaf. Old-school, generous.
Chettinad
1 spot01Egmore
Ponnusamy
ORDER
Chettinad chicken, crab
Chettinad done with real fire since 1955. The pepper chicken and the crab masala are the order. Spice that earns respect.
Biryani
2 spots01MustNungambakkam
Dindigul Thalappakatti
ORDER
Mutton seeraga samba biryani
The Dindigul biryani, seeraga samba rice and jeera, that Chennai swears by. Mutton, always. The real one.
02Anna Salai
Buhari
ORDER
Chicken 65, biryani
Where Chicken 65 was invented, in 1965. Have it, plus the biryani, on old Mount Road. History you can eat.
Andhra
1 spot01Cathedral Road
Amaravathi
ORDER
Andhra meals, natukodi
Andhra spice in the heart of Chennai. The meals and the natukodi bring the heat. Rice keeps coming, thankfully.
Sweets
2 spots01Mylapore
Sri Krishna Sweets
ORDER
Mysore pak
The ghee mysore pak that melts before you finish the sentence. Chennai's default gift and its quiet addiction. Get a box.
02Mylapore
Kalathi Rose Milk
ORDER
Rose milk
A newspaper stall that became famous for cold rose milk, of all things. A Mylapore evening ritual. Simple, pink, perfect.
That's vouch's taste. Yours is worth a home too.
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