Madras Coffee House represents the end of the spectrum from Western-style specialty coffee: this is traditional South Indian filter coffee, served in a steel tumbler placed inside a steel dabara (a wide, low bowl used to cool the coffee by pouring it back and forth). The process of mixing and cooling — pouring from height to create a froth — is part of the ritual.
The coffee itself is a blend of chicory and dark-roasted arabica, brewed through a small steel filter percolator. It arrives with the decoction mixed with hot milk and sweetened. The result is thick, aromatic, and utterly distinct from anything produced by an espresso machine.
This style of coffee is available at hundreds of places across Chennai, but dedicated old-school coffee houses like this one treat it as a serious preparation rather than a background beverage. Pair it with a vada (deep-fried savoury doughnut) or a plate of bonda.