Chaiiwala in Southampton - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Staff I guess have a serious language barrier they are don't know what is a espresso instead of telling me the machine is broken down.. looks nice place but 24h coffee shop and restaurants couldn't manage a espresso 😡😐 why I should go back there for try any food when a basic is hard to them

This was the first time I'd stepped through the door. It was at the instigation of my mate, Simon. We just went in for a quick cup of tea and it turned out to be an astonishing 8.30 on a Sunday morning super special wake up! We just had a cup of Karak Chai each and it was the loveliest tea I have ever drunk! The Cardamom was a knockout surprise and It reminded me of the tea that Arab friends always made when we lived in Algeria. It was very sweet but I really couldn't imagine it any other way. The service was delightful and chirpy. I bought some of the pastry things to take away; Punjabi samosa, chicken sausage roll, aloo tikki pastry/slice and a cheese and jalapeno pastry/slice for Monday lunch. Everything is delicious. The venue is spacious and airy and the menu something to behold. I shall look forward to trying everything eventually. The staff were great and beamed. It's not expensive and it is very different. I recommend it 100% +

We had not spotted this place previously and so it was a pleasant surprise. On going in we discovered it was probably part of a chain with branches /franchises in other UK cities/towns. The ambience was pleasant and welcoming. It wasn’t very busy at tea time on a weekday. The ceiling to floor glass windows at the front, offers good views of the street and the traffic. You are required to place your order and pay for it at the desk located towards the back of the restaurant and the food is brought to where you’re seated. Kharrak chai is spiced, masala tea well boiled with milk and sugar. The cinnamon tea was refreshing and was available without added milk. We tried the pani puri. It was tasting rather “sterile” and naturally lacking the flavour of authentic street food. Yet it was a good effort to try and replicate the real flavours. It was interesting that the food was brought to the table with a facsimile of the London edition of the Chaiiwalla Times datelined Friday 15 August 1947, laid on the tray which was Indian Independence Day, all those years ago! A visit to the rest room showed the place to be clean. What was sadly and woefully lacking was toilet paper in the dispenser! It probably had been empty for a long time. The give away of course was a green jug on the floor with a spout. I will not delve into the purpose/method of using this device which may not require elaboration for those from the subcontinent!