Ideal Cafe

Ideal Cafe is tucked away inside the Ideal Tower Hotel on Mall Road in Varanasi. Nadesar is a pretty active part of the city, so there is always something going on outside. We get a lot of people who are staying in the hotel, but also locals who just want a quiet corner for a while. Being on Mall Road means there are always cars and rickshaws buzzing past, but once you step inside, it feels a lot calmer. We’ve been serving coffee and snacks here for a while now. The staff here mostly just focuses on keeping the tables clean and making sure the kettle is always ready. It’s not one of those modern cafes with complicated names for everything. We just have the usual stuff people like to eat when they’re taking a break. Some mornings are slow, and we just stand around talking until the first customer walks in. Other times, like during the tourist season, it stays busy from morning until we close up at night. The hotel is easy to spot, so finding us isn’t usually a problem. We don’t do anything too fancy with the decor, just simple chairs and tables where you can sit and look out. It’s just a regular spot for people to gather in Varanasi and have a quick drink or a bite. Sometimes the trains at the station nearby make a lot of noise, but we don't mind. We just keep serving.