Beachville
- Specialty
- Laptop work
Chennai · Mylapore & Alwarpet
Cafés in Mylapore & Alwarpet
Coffee counters on the Mada Streets around Kapaleeshwarar Temple, and roasters and bungalow cafés in Alwarpet.
Photo: VARAN NM, Pexels License
Mylapore could well be the oldest part of Chennai, with written records of settlement going back to the first century BCE; the Portuguese occupied it in 1523 and the East India Company took it in 1749.1 Kapaleeshwarar Temple, known for the peacock statues on its towers, is its center, and the streets around it are where Mylapore's coffee rivalries play out.13
Alwarpet and the edge of RA Puram, to the south and west, hold the newer coffee: a roastery café on St Mary's Road, a chicory-free filter coffee brand, and cafés on Chamiers Road and Cenotaph Road. Café Coffee Day, Starbucks and Barista all have branches here too.45
Local tip: Beachville on St Mary's Road opens at 08:00; take a seat facing the glass wall to watch the roaster at work.4
At a glance
18Cafés listed
1With opening hours
08:00Earliest opening
20:00Latest closing
- Opens earliest: Beachville, from 08:00 (Daily 08:00–20:00).
- Most listed streets: Cenotaph Rd (2).
- Most common features: specialty (11%), laptop work (11%).
Ambrosia
Baker's Cafe
Bask by Coffee
- Laptop work
Brew n Sip
Cafe De Paris
Cafe Mirosh
Canvas
Chamiers Cafe
Coffee House
Coffee Trotter
Davrah Coffee
- Specialty
DUCA
Fabcafe
Mearth cafe
SLV Coffee House
The Board Room
The Tuscan Table
Nothing matches those filters here. See all cafés in Chennai.
Coffee chains in Mylapore & Alwarpet
Chain
Café Coffee Day
Show 11 locations
Chain
Starbucks
Chain
Barista
Coffee on the Mada Streets
In March 2026 Cothas opened a new outlet on East Mada Street, near the Chandra Travels office, about 65 m from its older shop on South Mada Street, charging ₹25 for coffee and ₹12 for tea.2 By late April it had shut the South Mada Street shop, and Leo Coffee House had opened a coffee counter at its own South Mada Street shop beside Suriya Sweets, at ₹20 a cup.3
SLV Coffee House is at 1D South Mada Street. Brew n Sip is on the way to the coast at 58 Santhome High Road, the road named for San Thome Basilica, which stands over the tomb attributed to St. Thomas the Apostle.1
Temple festivals and the MRTS
The ten-day Panguni Brahmotsavam falls in March–April and dates back to the 7th century; on day eight, the Arubathimoovar procession carries the 63 Nayanmars and Thiruvalluvar around the temple and draws the biggest crowd.1 Parthasarathy Swami Sabha, described as the oldest sabha (music and arts assembly) in Tamil Nadu, is also in Mylapore.1
Thirumayilai station on the MRTS, the elevated suburban line, links Mylapore with Chennai Beach to the north and Velachery to the south.1
St Mary's Road and the Alwarpet roasters
Beachville's café opened at 94/189 St Mary's Road in October 2020, after lockdown pushed back an April opening; a Diedrich roaster sits behind a glass wall, and the bar runs what was described as India's first Slayer espresso machine.4 Its roasts are on the lighter side.4 The café opens daily 08:00–20:00 and welcomes laptop work.
Davrah Coffee, at Ganga, 1 1st Cross Street, was started by Viggnesh V, Shivani Murali and Venkatesh Kannan to sell filter coffee that is chicory-free and freshly roasted and ground, and it supplies beans to cafés across Chennai.5 Bask by Coffee, at 11/6 Kasturi Rangan Road, also welcomes laptops.
Chamiers Road, Cenotaph Road and the bungalow cafés
Chamiers Cafe, at No. 106 Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar Road, is a collaboration between Amethyst's founder Kiran Rao and her friend Mathangi Srinivasamurti, and shares its space with a gift shop and the Amethyst Room, an exhibition space used for book launches.6 Canvas is at 77 Chamiers Road and DUCA at 5B Ramachandra Avenue.
On Cenotaph Road, Cafe De Paris is at No. 24 and Ambrosia at 11/139. Coffee Trotter, on Co-operative Colony Road, was one quizmaster's pick for its coffee in a 2023 round-up of the city's best brews.7 Baker's Cafe is at 112 RK Mutt Road.
Sources
- Mylapore, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
- Mylapore's coffee contests happen all the time. Cothas opens third outlet, Mylapore Times (Baskar Seshadri, March 24, 2026), accessed October 2026
- Coffee battles on Mada Streets. Leo offers a cup for Rs.20, Mylapore Times (Baskar Seshadri, April 29, 2026), accessed October 2026
- Build-Outs Of Coffee: Beachville Coffee Roasters In Chennai, India, Sprudge (September 21, 2021), accessed October 2026
- Coffee brand celebrates Madras's heritage through merch, DT Next (Merin James, June 29, 2024), accessed October 2026
- Meet Kiran Rao, the woman who started Chennai's popular Amethyst cafe, The News Minute (Anjana Shekar, May 8, 2018), accessed October 2026
- On a coffee trail: Where to find best brews, DT Next (Merin James, October 1, 2023), accessed October 2026
FAQ
Mylapore & Alwarpet cafés: questions
How much does filter coffee cost on the Mada Streets in Mylapore, Chennai?
In April 2026 Leo Coffee House charged ₹20 a cup at its new counter on South Mada Street, beside Suriya Sweets. In March 2026 Cothas charged ₹25 for coffee and ₹12 for tea at its new East Mada Street outlet, near the Chandra Travels office.
Where is Beachville's roastery café in Alwarpet, Chennai?
Beachville is at 94/189 St Mary's Road and opens daily from 08:00 to 20:00. The café opened in October 2020 with a Diedrich roaster behind a glass wall and a Slayer espresso machine. It roasts on the lighter side, serves specialty coffee and welcomes laptop work.
Which cafés in Mylapore and Alwarpet, Chennai, welcome laptop work?
Beachville on St Mary's Road, open daily 08:00 to 20:00, and Bask by Coffee at 11/6 Kasturi Rangan Road both welcome laptop work. For filter coffee without chicory, Davrah Coffee at Ganga, 1 1st Cross Street sells freshly roasted and ground coffee.
For café owners
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