Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Here are five places in Chennai where you can belt a delicious South Indian breakfast that fills your stomach without emptying your wallet.
LBB's Guide To Cheap & Cheerful South Indian Brekkie For Under INR 250
Vrindavan At The New Woodlands Hotel
The New Woodlands Hotel was established in 1938. Its restaurant, Vrindavan, calls itself ‘multi cuisine’, but anyone and everyone who frequents it knows that its tiffin is where the action is at. Their dosas {particularly the rava dosa and ghee roast} are legendary, but if you’re in the mood for something different, do try their breakfast combo. At INR 150 {without tax}, you’ll get 2 idlis, the ‘dish of the day’, a mini dosa, sambar, chutney and filter coffee to finish it off. Burp.
Breakfast Timings: 6.45 am to 10 am
Sangeetha Veg Restaurant, T Nagar
The Sangeetha Veg Restaurant may be a fairly new establishment on GN Chetty road, but it has taken the area of T Nagar and the neighbouring areas by storm with its prompt service and delicious food. A perfect breakfast at Sangeetha {and in general} would involve pillowy soft mini ghee idlis dunked in fragrant sambhar, melt-in-your-mouth pongal, two {crispy on the outside but soft on the inside} vadais, and a filter coffee. Your stomach? Bursting at the seams. Your bill? INR 240.
Breakfast Timing: 8 am to 11 am
ID at Sathyam Cinemas
ID, which stands for Idli Dosa, is probably the chicest South Indian tiffin spot in the city. Their cool cutlery and minimalist ambience play the perfect foil to absolutely delicious food that they serve. We are huge fans of their custom dosa bar where you can choose the filling, as well as the protein rich pesarattu {moong dal dosa}. However, if you’re up for a big breakfast, we recommend that you start go straight for the Poori Masala {INR 90}, and their signature, ghee loaded and cashew studded Kasi Halwa {INR 100}. Oh, and some filter coffee {INR 70} to help you digest it all.
Breakfast Timings: 11 am-11 pm on weekdays and 8 am to 11 pm on Saturdays and Sundays
Rayar’s Mess, Mylapore
Rayar’s Mess, a tiny café that is more than 70 years old, is hidden in a cramped corner in Mylapore. Don’t worry about finding the place though —given the crowd that assembles there every morning for its fluffy idlis, crispy-crunchy vadais, signature getti {thick} chutney, and filter coffee, it’s impossible to miss. You can have pretty much the entire menu for INR 250, and we encourage you to do so.
Breakfast Timing: 7 am-10.30 am
Murugan Idli Shop, Besant Nagar
Is there anything better than catching the sun rise at Elliots Beach, you ask? There is – it is catching the sun rise at Elliots beach, and then having breakfast at Murugan Idli Shop, Besant Nagar. Start with the crunchy, onion packed Butter Podi Onion Uthappam {INR 100}, add on some gloriously fragrant Ghee Pongal {INR 50}, two Ghee Podi Idlis {INR 56}, and finish with filter coffee {INR 26}. Yum.
Breakfast Timing: 7 am-11 pm