Ratna Cafe

Ratna Cafe on Triplicane High Road in Triplicane, Central Chennai, is one of the city's oldest restaurants. It was founded in 1948 by a family from Mathura and is still run by the family, which gives it a reputation as a heritage address in a neighbourhood known for its old streets, the Parthasarathy Temple and the Wallajah Mosque nearby. The cuisine is South Indian vegetarian tiffin, the breakfast and snack repertoire of Tamil Nadu.

The dish that built the restaurant's name is the sambar idli: soft idlis served with a generous pour of thick, fragrant sambar, which many Chennai residents treat as the standard order. Other regular items include medhu vada, ghee dosa and filter coffee. The restaurant is regarded as part of Triplicane's tiffin heritage, and it is often mentioned in discussions of the city's old eateries, alongside the sweet shops and tea stalls of the area.

The dining room is unpretentious, traditional and busy, with simple tables, quick service and a steady flow of local regulars through the day. Noise levels rise at breakfast and in the evening. No dress code applies. Reservations are not accepted and walk-ins are the only option, though the turnover is fast and waits are usually short outside the morning peak. Beverages centre on filter coffee and tea; no alcohol programme exists.

Prices are modest, at about ₹80-250 per person (roughly $0.83-2.60 USD), and the restaurant is open approximately from 7AM to 10PM daily. Visitors exploring Triplicane on foot can use it as a breakfast stop before the temple and the nearby Marina Beach, or as an evening halt in the lanes around Triplicane High Road. The combination of age, family ownership and low prices makes it a typical stop on Chennai heritage food walks.