Best time
Mornings and late afternoons. Irani cafés fill up around 8 to 10 am and again around 4 to 6 pm.
Getting there
Many of the well-known Irani cafés cluster in and around the Old City and Secunderabad. Pair them with a heritage walk and you will cover a lot without a car.
What makes it Irani chai
Irani chai is a strong, milky, lightly sweet tea, brewed long and low. The cafés themselves were started by Persian immigrants and became a fixture of the city.
It is a different drink from the masala chai you may know. Think richer, creamier and smoother.
The Osmania biscuit
Dunk an Osmania biscuit in your cup. It is a sweet and salty tea biscuit, named after the last Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan. It is made for chai and nothing else.
How to order
Ask for chai and a plate of Osmania biscuits. Add bun maska if you are hungry. Pay at the counter on the way out, and do not rush. Staying is the point.
Make it a game
In Gpsy, chai spots are side quests: stamp them to earn +50 bonus XP and unlock the Café hopper badge. Stamp five in a week and your streak thanks you.
Local tips
- Cash is still the easiest way to pay at many old cafés.
- Go with a friend and share a plate of biscuits.
- Take a photo of the counter, not only the cup.
Want to turn this into a checklist? Join the Gpsy waitlist and stamp every stop as you go, or see how Gpsy works.
