Hidden & How: Catch A Quiet Moment At This Canteen With Coffee, Cake & A Book

Discovering Khoj’s artists’ space in Khirki has been one of our most cherished discoveries. We’re going back to enjoy performances and collaborative art but more importantly, we’re returning to their canteen that’s perfectly insulated from the city’s mad chaos and has the best lemon cake ever.

It’s a sea of white with just a hint of green from the plants. The framed photographs on the wall add the right amount of drama without taking any attention from your cup of steaming ginger honey tea.

Just like most things at Khoj, the menu is a collaborative effort. All the neighbours pitch in with their homemade recipes, so a one-off Goan dish sometimes makes an appearance next to a Maharashtrian staple. The main woman and head cook, Kanchan, also comes from a house nearby and specialises in typical ghar ka khaana including a plate of yummy poha that she serves with a wide smile. 

The cafe changed many hands before they realised that the canteen needed to echo the central philosophy of Khoj; that it’s all about sharing. The menu isn’t too extravagant but there’s Blue Tokai coffee that makes up for five pages of dishes to choose from. A lot of ingredients are also sourced from their backyard. You can get yourself a cold coffee and a masala omelette, and sit for hours without someone hovering over your head to order/leave. There’s also chilla, wraps, sandwiches, cookies and shakes to pick from.

The best part? It’s all budget-friendly with a meal, complete with chai cups and cake and poha setting us back by only around INR 200.

Time really comes to a standstill here. Gaze out of their tiny windows or just sit under the tree, overlooking at the building’s many levels. We think it’s a really sweet place for an artsy date too.

P.S. The canteen’s open from 10am to 7pm Monday-Saturday