Tea with friends at Lloyds Tea House

It is almost like Lloyds tea house is the place where we meet to bid adieu to Friends moving away to a new country.. This time we met at the newly opened Lloyds tea house on TTK road.. 

I was the 1st to reach.. Soon gave in to hunger pangs and ordered Pasta alfredo and the Franconian peppermint tea.. Both of which arrived hot and were perfect for my cold.. The pasta was good but felt it was tad mushy.. The tea on the other hand was just divine, with a splash of honey.. 

This is quite a nice place- cozy and cute, and just as they had in their outlet here too they have a simple selection of eats and an extensive Tea menu.. 

This Lloyds Tea House is located on # 406, TTK Road, Alwarpet.
Adj to Kaya skin clinic..
Contact 9840331215

Lloyds Tea House, Gopalapuram, Chennai

If you are hungry and are looking for a good decent yet interesting place to go to, then head to Lloyds Tea House

If you have just walked out after a bleh movie and nothing can get your mood up, but a slice of Tiramisu or maybe a nice filling sandwich, then just go down the road towards DAV school, and voila, you will see this Tea house tucked amidst the row of houses. 

And for those who have been to Bangalore, and visited Infinitea, you will have hunted around Chennai for a similar place. Well, your search ends right here!! 

How was Lloyds born? Well, Vandana, a home baker was the one who took it upon herself to bring the idea of a Tea house to Chennai. And then came Pavan, an  investment advisor followed by Rashmi, a jewellery designer, Sunny who happens to be the in-house tea connoisseur and finally Rajesh, the one who took hold of the reigns and who also owns a car parts store down the road. And thus was born Lloyds tea House. Why the name? Well, the place is located on Lloyds Road, simple!  The interiors and decor is very English, the tables and chairs very casual and comfortable, and a small garden around the place. 

I have been there more times than I remember, and have had quite a few fond moments as well. Work related meetings, meeting friends for a casual chit chat session, and food meets as well. The place is small, but big enough to seat more than 20 people, they have a nice TV screen that is placed in front of a few sofas, a book shelf with an eclectic collection of books, and shelves lined with tea boxes neatly labelled. Oh and how can I forget the wall to wall shelves at the far end of the room with interesting curio pieces, some of which are interesting looking tea pots. 

As you settle into the chair, you will see two menus placed in front of you. One is an extensive tea menu while other is the food menu. If you are lost or confused, just ask one of the staff members to help you decide! Their choice is good and you will end up having a lovely time. 

They started with about 20-35 varieties of tea and have now gone up to nearly 60 kinds. Oh and what is more, they now retail tea as well. Some of their interesting teas have been the Blueberry Cheesecake tea, the monkey banana tea and several others. But my all time favorite is the Franconian Peppermint tea. It is just divine, especially HOT... 

Wait, I have to tell you about the interesting contraption they have that brews your tea. A container is brought to the table with tea leaves sitting at the bottom. And then, the staff pours hot water into it and you see the tea come alive. A timer is then placed on the table, and you are told how long the tea needs before it is ready to be poured. The very 1st time I saw this, I wondered how to pour the tea, but then I came to know it dint need to be poured. But infact, it had to be placed on the mug and voila, like magic tea fills in the mug. :-) 

On the food front, they have quite a range of Sandwiches, pasta, pizza, risotto, finger food such as the Rosti platter, BBQ Chicken, Vol au vents, Roasted vegetable crostini and so much more.  The Vol au vents is quite a nice dish- light fluffly puff pastry with mushroom & cheese on the top.  The Rosti platter on the other hand are discs of hash brown with loads of cheese and a nice bite to it.  Among the main dishes, I love their cottage cheese pesto sandwich, and their range of vegetarian pastas. The Creamy fusilli with mushroom is a personal favorite. They are sweet enough to custom make pasta on order. 

The Margharitta pizza that was served was beautiful. Thin crust base with healthy portions of tomatoes and cheese on top. But if you are not a tomato lover or like something different, just take your pick from their menu. They also have a few burgers, Chicken Cheese burger and a very Cheesy Cheese burger which is simply amazing. 

We also tried their Thai Basil Cottage Cheese with Rice and Penne Arrabiata Pasta. Both of these had unique flavours, filled with vegetables and were quite filling. The pasta was quite spicy, a tad too much for my taste buds but I washed it down with some peppermint tea..

And just when you think you are done for the day,   you notice the dessert counter with the delectable cakes staring at you with inviting glances.  Opt for the almond chocolate sticks or the Tiramisu, you are in for a treat. On that high note is how you end a perfect evening!! 

Lloyds as I have mentioned above, is a perfect place for a quiet evening with friends, or with a book and also an ideal place to have a business meeting in. And if you have been here few times, the staff know you and will bring your order without a word exchanged! 

You can read my earlier review here

Address:

#179, Lloyds Road, 

Gopalapuram, Chennai - 600086

Ph : 044 45524231

Lloyds Tea House

I am a little tea pot

Short and stout

Pick me up

Pour me out…

is a song that comes to my mind when someone mentions Tea.  And I hummed this in my head as I walked into Lloyds tea House in Gopalapuram that Thursday evening.  Located near DAV school, Lloyds is probably the only café other than CCD on that stretch. It also brought back memories of the old Amethyst [used to be on the road perpendicular to Lloyds] And ever since my 1st visit to Infinitea in Bangalore, I kept wishing for a similar place to open in Chennai.   

As you walk in, the decor and the colour on the walls is what hits you first. Very soothing turquoise/cyan colour on the walls, a small section with sofas covered with map upholstery and a book shelf to separate the sections. There are shelves at the far end of the cafe with a few artefacts, some of which are absolutely adorable and chic. There is a small counter in the middle with a display showcasing the wide variety of desserts they offer,a long with a few trays with Scones, biscotti and the pound cake. 

The shelves all around are filled with black containers with labels on them. Only when I went up close did I discover they all held different kinds of tea in it. They have over 60 kinds of Tea. Yes, you read it right! 

We began with an order of Teas, I wanted to try the Himalayan Wine, but they dint have it and so I opted for the Lloyds Blend which was a blend of 3 teas. More than the tea itself, it was the contraption that had us all curious. They bring to the table a pot with tea leaves in it, pour the hot water and then place a mini timer on the table. It has 3 options- light, medium or dark with time for each of them. So, depending on how you like your tea,. you can wait it out. Wait, there is more. The entire pot is then placed on the mug and voila, you get a cup of perfect tea. That is how awesome that contraption- err tea pot was. :-)   

There were a few who opted for the cold iced teas, but personally I preferred the hot ones. We tried the Blended tea, Irish tea, and so many others [my head is buzzing with names and flavours]. Their menu does not end here. They offer quite an array of eats as well, ranging from finger food to main dishes. 

While we waited for the food, a few of us quietly occupied the sofas and thanks to the TV on the wall, were enjoying the cricket match.

For the vegetarians, there are quite a few options and I say this with a big broad smile. There are club sandwiches, pasta, risotto, pizza, and the curious Zucchini fantasy[the dish was a drama on its own, you unfold the zucchini sheets to find a mix of veggies cooked Italian style inside]..  There was also the Rosti platter, mini tartlets if you will call them that and ofcourse the corn on toast as well. The risotto was interesting- it was served alongside Thai red curry. Italy meets Thailand, and they were quite happy together!! 

"Only 2 clicks and we dig in" was the chant in our group. We were hungry, and couldn't hold off any longer.. hehe.. all attack with spoons, forks and hands... 

Ah, now we were all smiling and happy. Just in time for the grand finale, drumroll please. We are now making our way towards the desserts sections, the place has 1,2,3,4, 5..... and many more desserts. There are fudge brownies, pound cake, red velvet cake, chocolate truffle, and then some more. Feast for your eyes and for the growling tummies..

Next time you want to grab a quick bite or go somewhere interesting, make a beeline to Gopalapuram and head to Lloyds.  What more? They have valet parking as well~!

Address:

Add to trip

#179, Lloyds Road, 

Gopalapuram, Chennai - 600086

Ph : 044 45524231

Kettle Tea & Desserts, Chennai

I'm a little teapot,

Short and stout,

Here is my handle, (one hand on hip)

Here is my spout, (other arm out with elbow and wrist bent)

When I get all steamed up,

Hear me shout,

Tip me over and pour me out! (lean over towards the spout)

This is what i was reminded of when i heard the name "Kettle Tea & Desserts". Friends of mine had mentioned this place, and I also know they had a Tea making workshop couple of months ago. I drink tea, once a day, but now that has changed. I start the day with green tea and also have one more sometime during the day. And have also begun exploring the various brands and flavours available, the latest being Twinnings Mango, Orange & Cinnamon, thanks to a friend [she sent me a goodie basket for some help I did].  Without digressing further, when Nishanth mentioned the meet planned at Kettle, I instantly said "Aye aye cap'n" and looked forward to the evening. The only place that serves up a variety of tea in Chennai was Cha Bar, in Oxford Book store. Unfortunately they shut shop and we lost a nice cafe.Used to be among our favorite haunt. sigh... 

Tucked away in 10th Main Road in Anna Nagar, it is on the road next to RR Donnelley in Shanthi Colony [past Shree Mithai]. Located on the 1st floor, you need to climb up the stone staircase to reach the Tea house. The light, the colours and the space instantly catches your eye. It resembles a small house, with multiple rooms. As soon as you enter, on the right is where the cold stone ice creams are made, when you proceed further inside, you see the counter meant for Tea, displaying containers of varieties of Tea [20 in total], and a blender as well. There is seating in all the rooms, 2s, 4s or more. Apart from these 2, there is a room tucked away with sofas that can accommodate about 10-15people. When the weather is pleasant, or during the evenings, you can enjoy a cup of tea sitting in the outdoor seating area. I wonder if the Metro work noise spills over here, might be a pain.

The room had pastel shades of the wall, and beige colour sofas with a huge center table. We were all packed around it, with a few floating in and out. The menu is quite extensive, not restricted to Tea alone. They serve a variety of Pastas, lasagne, sandwiches, desserts and cold stone ice creams. We were welcomed with the Black currant Tea- it was yumm, though a tad sweet for my liking. It was also the 1st time I tried the scones, they were interesting and I did like them, they were served alongside butter and jam.

The Tomato Basil soup was a hit among most of us, only suggestion was to use plain butter and not salted button on top.  Next up were the salads, us vegetarians got a Sprout Salad - a good, healthy option/also a filling meal/snack. Suddenly i noticed a plate with neatly arranged triangle slices of mushroom on toast, followed by the the egg white omelette served with grilled tomatoes on ciabatta bread (looked more like a hot dog bun), these two were alright! In between the food, I ordered a cup of Chamomille tea that I really liked it especially with honey. Another sandwich we tried was the Pesto Paneer Sandwich - it was alright,I felt the paneer was chewy & dry , and so it was difficult to eat. 

Wait, we were not done. There were a few non veg dishes that floated by, a chicken salad served with banana fritters. Another dish that came along was the Lasagne, which was quite delicious and the pasta stood its ground, but then the Curried Pasta, a Pasta that tasted like an Indian korma, something I've never had before came along making us wonder what was going on in the Chef's mind.. It is good for those who like Indian masalas and flavours. I dint take a fancy to it!!

The sips of tea in between the bites was good, kept us all happy and feeling light.The only tea that was bleh was the Organic white tea- it dint have any taste, felt like I was drinking hot water. Wonder why?! A friend infact commented that it was her favorite and normally quite flavorful. 

"Woah that looks good"- yes that is what came to my mind when I saw the desserts placed on the table. Some of the desserts were excellent. The Tiramisu was nice, I fell in love with the "Love for Strawberry Ice cream" served in a waffle cup and actually liked the Oreo ice cream as well. Oh, how can I forget the Carrot cup cake. The expresso brownie was also good, while the Pot de crème had a weird texture and was not a favorite among the lot. Hang on, I know there was one more dessert, ah yes- White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake, it was quite good. Few other teas that the group ordered were Masala Chai and Assam tea. 

Overall, it is a fun place to hang out or hold a meeting at. Do visit, am sure you will enjoy Kettle. 

Location:

Kettle Anna Nagar, No 3362V, AE Block,

10th Main Road, (Near Anna Nagar Post Office)

Anna Nagar West,

Chennai - 600040

Hours of Operation

7 days a week 

11:00 AM – 11:00 PM

Call Us!

Ph: +91-44-2622-3006/07

Email: info@thekettle.in

   

Disclaimer:

The reviews posted on this blog are based on my personal experience. Also remember that restaurants and eat outs sometimes change with time, so does their food and service. So, kindly consider these factors while visiting the places. Remember, no two palates are the same. Bon Appétit  :-)