Hello, there! Are you single and ready to mingle? But no jingle in your shingle? Don’t worry. Here’s a list of places you can take your date (or just a friend who is generally interested in spending time with you) to grab a bite and look good while at it. Plus, the bill is never going to cross INR 500 for two.
Where To Take Your Date In Chennai When You Are #BrokeButFabulous
Cheesy Juicy Burger
“What do you call two buns with a lot of meat in the middle?” is not a pickup line that works best on first dates. Show, don’t tell. I’m talking about the burgers here. As the name of the place suggests, they have cheesy juicy burgers, fries, and some beverages you can try as well. It’s bigger than it looks from the outside, and it’s pretty colourful on the inside. There’s more than one branch in the city, so there’s more than one option too.
Recommended for: Late lunch and early dinners for the young ones who have curfews.
Royal Sandwich Shop
Royal Sandwich Shop has been a landmark on TTK Road for a long time now, and for good reason. They’ve got more than a 100 varieties of sandwiches — sweet, savoury, hot, and economical (because “cheap” sounds cheap). This place is packed after 6:30 pm every day, but it’s quite an adventure to make it to the counter and get your order. This place believes in “self service is the best service”, and there are seats along the walls where you can huddle up with your sandwiches and share bites.
Writer's Cafe, Gopalapuram
This establishment is set in a cozy double-storied white building. The ground floor is the serving area, and the first floor is the place bibliophiles will call a piece of heaven itself — Higginbothams. Once you’re done with your order, you can check out the bookshelves upstairs and even make a few purchases if you feel like it. They’ve also got some stationeries on sale for writers, sketchers, and general hoarders. Writer’s Café is fairly priced, and most of their proceedings go towards charity. Their staff includes acid attack and abuse survivors, and it’s nice to see them hold a regular job. The cuisine here is mostly intercontinental. They’ve got salads, pizzas, baguettes, and some really nice drinks. Try the Energizer – the name says it all.
Recommended for: Lazy afternoon dates and co-working with freelance colleagues.
Urban Desi House, Thoraipakkam
If you work in IT and want to defy stereotypes by getting yourself a date for the night or day (let’s face it, dates don’t have to be only in the night), head to Urban Desi House on the OMR. Maybe if you time it right, you can sneak out for a quick lunch date and not have to worry about the “end of month” financial crunch. UDH, as they like to call themselves, is a really lively place with great economical combos. Order their cold coffee and you’ll get it in a lens cap cup with a straw. You can also try their Desi Burritos and Masala Lemonade. Be sure to check out their performance area on the first floor. UDH is home to stand-up comedy open mics every Tuesday evening.
Recommended for: For those post work cozy dates.
Murugan Idli Shop
Get ready to spice up your date with some delicious, hot, and soft idlies with sambar. But, that’s not all you get here. Think authentic Tamil food, and you will smell Murugan Idli shop. Their staff is courteous, and there’s almost always a long line of people waiting outside to get their taste of MIS. They don’t take reservations, because they are progressive like that.
Recommended for: For the morning after, if you know what I mean.