The cafe that serves the essence of Varanasi: Camaraderie,  Conversations and Chai!

Meera Vohra

Like the rest of Varanasi, Kashi Café, situated at Assi Ghat, is in a transition phase. The place, known for frothy, delicious kullar coffee and chai, with cerebral conversations for company, is shifting premises. The current existence of a makeshift kiosk with few benches gels well with the no-frills character of the city.

The menu has been curtailed, but the coffee and chai continue to brew and are served in the humble kullars. The café is currently being helmed by Lakhan Kashyap, whose father laid the foundation of this place more than four decades ago.

Lakhan tells us, “The café that came into existence in the 1980s was earlier called Kashi Tea Stall, named after my father, who started this place. It was the most favoured spot for the foreigners who predominated in Assi and neighbouring areas.  Natives from France, Germany and other European countries used to visit the place for their coffee and tea breaks. For six months, during the peak tourism period, we used to cater to such guests.  The sittings were not confined to just sipping the beverages, but it became a perfect spot for cultural exchange.   Anyone who wanted to come for any foreign language lessons would sit here for hours, while the foreign visitors would seek information about the Indian culture by interacting with the locals.”

The menu was curated accordingly.  “My father used to mainly serve the masala chai, but when I took charge of things here, I expanded the menu. We introduced various categories of chai, apart from normal, special and masala chai, lemon ginger tea, and lemon tea. While in the coffee segment, we had the option of black and macchiato coffee. Several imported brands of coffee were also served, which I used to get from the foreigners who visited the city often.”

With the influx of Indian tourists increasing in Varanasi, including the Assi area, over the last few years, the menu is more desi or Indian now. “We serve the normal chai made with milk and instant coffee in cappuccino style, keeping the larger Indian customers in mind.”

Despite the change in the demography of the customers, the café is still a place of some healthy conversations. It continues to be a hangout place for the local young crowd.  The Indian tourists coming to Varanasi, keen to seek the local input for eating options, often check with Lakhan.  "There are certain places which we locals only know, and for those travellers who have a constrained schedule and budget, such inputs are quite handy.   It is a popular meeting point for groups on an exploration tour of Varanasi, where the members meet at our café and continue with their journey,” says Lakhan.  

The place also welcomes furry friends, as the street dogs in the area are taken care of by the café owner.  “We ensure that a part of our earnings is spent on feeding the stray dogs. After we close at night, all the dogs in the vicinity are fed with milk and bread. The dogs hanging around in the area are vaccinated and sterilised.  We have also collaborated with an NGO that has provided us with a QR band for them that helps to keep track of them and save them from any kind of peril.”   

The new setup, which will soon become functional, hopes to keep the conversations going over a cup of tea or perhaps coffee.