Ratna Cafe

We’ve been here on Triplicane High Road for a long time now. Most people know us because we’re right near the Ice House. It’s usually pretty busy, especially in the mornings when everyone wants their coffee before starting the day. We don't do anything too fancy here. The tables are old, and the fans are always spinning to keep the heat away, but it works for us and the regulars who come in every single day. You see the same faces every morning. Some people have been sitting in the same chairs for years. It’s just how things are in this part of Chennai. If you’re walking down the road toward the beach, you can’t really miss the sign. Sometimes the traffic is a bit much outside, but inside we just keep things moving. We try to keep the floors clean, but with so many people coming in from the dusty street, it’s a constant job. We don’t really change the menu much because why bother if people like what they’ve been eating for decades? It’s a simple setup at No 255. We just open the doors early and keep going until the evening. There isn't much to say other than we serve food and drinks to whoever walks in. It’s a loud place, full of talk and the clinking of steel tumblers, which is exactly how a cafe in Triplicane should be. People like the strong smell of the coffee being made, and we just keep the tumblers moving.