Gangotree – Chaat Central
Heart of the city, neighbour to two famous city colleges, lip smacking food and ofcourse easy on your pocket. Its the magical combination that any eatery would dream of having.
Well it is the first place that strikes the mind at the slightest mention of the word ‘chaat’ in Chennai. Their quality and variety of food is unparalleled. Its almost addictive many a time. You just can’t stop eating till you are filled up to the throat.
My favorites are pani puri (5 servings) for Rs. 18, paneer rolls for Rs. 12 and dhoklas for Rs.12. You get a plethora of chaat items all being affordable at around Rs.25 to 30 each. More than affordability, the value of money is what is more impressive. The taste is simply irresistible and there is no compromise on quality either. The friendly guys behind the counters are ever ready to make you one of those mouth watering chaats. While you stand there watching them make it, its most likely that you are already picturing yourself savouring every bit of it.
It doesn’t stop with just chaats. You have the choice of sweets from all over India and you are pampered with a huge list of sandwiches (I love the chilly cheese! – Rs. 35), fruit juices, slushes, floats, fizz, milk shakes and ice creams and some other stuff which I’m not sure which category to put in.
The most famous Gangotree is on Cathedral Road, right opposite to stella maris college. Though its got a lot of tables, you will always find it cramped because of the floating crowd which keeps on flowing in. Go in the weekends, and you can consider yourself lucky to get a table. If you are not upto waiting through crowds to get a chaat, you can enjoy the same taste at other Gangotree outlets at Chennai Citi Centre, T.Nagar and Planet Yumm at Elliots Beach. Another fascinating thing is that its very clean inspite of the mad rushes that happen almost every evening. So, even if you are hygiene freak, you should be pretty impressed with the place.
It’s a great place to go out with your family or friends. If its just one of those days, when you are not upto a full dinner, then Gangotree is just what you are looking for.
You can find Gangotree at 42, Cathedral Road, Chennai – 600 086.
Other Gangotree Outlets in Chennai:
- Chennai Citi Centre on Dr. Radhakrishnan Salai.
- Planet Yumm at Elliots Beach (Besant Nagar Beach).
- North Boag Road in T. Nagar.
Phone (Chennai): +91-44-2811 1664, +91-44-4202 9475.
Great fun! The crowd is predominantly working professionals who come over to chill out after a hard day’s work. Corporates can avail of memberships and so can regulars, who get a membership card and enjoy special offers every now and then.