The heritage hangout

One of my colleagues who recently shifted out of Chennai told me that if there is one thing that he will definitely miss Chennai for, it's the coffee. I had to agree with him. Chennai rocks when it comes to coffee. No other place I've been to beats Chennai when it comes to coffee. You can barge in to any shop that dishes out coffee (and you'll find thousands across the city), and you can bet on your odds that the coffee is going to be good - immaterial of whether you are dishing out 3 rupees or 50 rupees.

Of course, when you know where to go as a coffee connoisseur (Hot Chips), you'll just love it. And what more, you get the Hot Chips coffee for five bucks. Hell, I love coffee and I'll pay twenty more if I have to. But this is not about coffee or Hot Chips. This is about one place you have to visit if you happen to be in Chennai. It's Amethyst, a nondescript hangout place in the heart of the city.

It's an old heritage bungalow converted into a coffee/fast-food type hangout place. The bungalow is a distillation of peace and beauty - quiet, lots of greenery, lots of space and lots of fresh air. It's natural. I found the prices to be similar as that of CCDs. And what's a better deal? The ultra-commercialized Cafe Coffee Days or a nice peaceful garden? If you want directions, you'll find the map in a Kiruba's post some years ago. Once you are on the road, watch carefully for a guard outside a colonial bungalow. There will be no banners advertising this place.

It's a perfect place for conversations, and when some of us met yesterday, we almost solved half the world's problems.

More reviews here:
Metblogs: Amethyst, Jewel in the heart of Chennai.
Hangout Digger