Tea, Please?

AESTHETE KIRAN RAO'S GARDEN CAFE CHAMIERS IS A CLASSIC CULT FAVOURITE IN CHENNAI FOR ITS CHARMING AMBIENCE AND DESIGN

- ASHNA LULLA

Stepping into Chamiers is like entering a chic updated version of a British tea room from the '40s. Its cosy English-inspired interiors with cafe bistro wicker chairs are permanently abuzz with locals and tourists, as they people watch while tucking into a hearty meal, enjoying a quiet afternoon read, or simply pausing. Chamiers is designed and owned by the visionary Kiran Rao, whose aesthetic and sensibility is behind some iconic cafes and several design-led boutiques, the most notable being Coromandel Café in Puducherry and Amethyst in Chennai. Her vision was for Chamiers to be a space for everyone. Since the early 2000s, the charming neighbourhood cafe has been a fixture on Chamiers Road (the street it was named after) with a continuing popularity and provenance among its patrons.