Indians, at least the most of them, open their eyes every morning with a cup of strong tea, and I am no exception. Since the time I can remember, I have been drinking tea for more than twenty years. Still, I have not got bored of this magical drink that Indians have transformed in various forms in the history. I have found the some of the best teas at the small roadside dhabas as well as in the fanciest chai cafes spread around the country. My work as a photographer and blogger takes me to some of the most amazing places on earth. In the last six years of my career, I have discovered more than a hundred outlets around the country that serve the best chai in the world. Let me mention a few of them for the readers:

Infinitea (Bangalore)

A tea estate owner hailing from West Bengal founded Infinitea in Bangalore in 2003. The outlet serves an odd number of fifty types of chai. I love their gorgeous interiors, information morsels, and the pictures hanging on the walls depicting their long association with chai. Sometimes, when I crave for the chai from Infinitea sitting at my home in Delhi, I place an order for their tea leaves online. I have taken many friends to this exquisite outlet to taste their intense China jasmine green tea and white tea. The taste of chai enhances with just the right combination of their snacks and desserts. I just love sitting at Infinitea and smell the amazing aroma of their different kinds of teas.

Dolly’s Tea Shop (Kolkata)

Dolly Roy, the founder of Dolly’s Tea Shop, is the unofficial tea taster of the country. I can say it with confidence that this little outlet is the most famous chai point of Kolkata. Dolly founded the outlet in 1987 in the proximity of various colleges of the city and made a brilliant decision to keep her products according to the budget of students. The travelers, as well as students, stop by the shop to have a sip of their favorite tea. Whether it is chilling winters and the scorching heat in the city, Dolly suggests hot or cold chai according to the taste of her customers. I just love the snacks offered by Dolly’s Tea Shop, especially the brownies, tea floats, grilled sandwiches, and sausages. Even when I don’t have much money in my pocket, I can’t resist myself from buying their iced tea, which comes for just 30 bucks.

Cha Bar- Oxford Book Store (New Delhi)

As a blogger, I need to do a lot of reading and writing, and Cha Bar in my hometown is my favorite place to be when it comes to work and leisure. The Cha-Bar is located in the heart of Delhi, Connaught Place, which makes it easily accessible for everyone. The major highlight of the place is their ‘Tea Pot Wall,’ which embellishes the chai-pots from all over the world. The place a lovely ambiance to sit, read, and have tea with my choice of snacks. Whenever I have to read and write for a long time, I come here and relax at leisure. The staff is well behaved, and they never ask you to vacate the space if you are working without ordering anything.

Tea Pot Café (Kochi)

The atmospheric Tea Pot Café is an ideal venue to have high tea. They offer sixteen types of chai along with snacks, sandwiches, and meals in their airy, chic rooms. The café is decorated with witty themes including tea chests that make up the tables and knobby glass table based on tea tree. The abundance of tea pots around the café makes it a chic place to be. Many of the tea pots hang from the roofs, and some of them are placed on the quaint shelves. The vibrant yellow walls and cozy seating of the site make up a perfect ambiance to sit and chat with your friends. The Tea Pot Café, founded in 2005, serves regular tea, chamomile tea, jasmine tea, and various other variants too. The splendid cheesecakes in their menu are a must have for me at least. Moreover, if I travel by car rentals, I feel like having Appam, I can get it here as well.

O! Chai (Assam)

O! Chai faces the NH 37 in Assam, which makes it my favorite destination to stop by when I am on a road trip in the state. Although the place is usually crowded, I still like to pull over my car and have a cup of plain Assam Tea. Along with the tea, I do not forget to take either the paneer patty or cheese omelet. Monsoons in Assam are the best place to enjoy tea, be it at O! Chai or anywhere at the roadside dhabas.

I, being a chai-lover, do not forget to taste tea anywhere I go whether I have to go by car rentals in Delhi, metro, or auto-rickshaw. Along with the chai corners as mentioned above, I have also discovered several other outlets that serve amazing chai around the country. By the time I write about them in my next blog, you can find out which one of these chai corners you want to try.