Cafe Tesu — Restaurant in Delhi

In this blog post, I cover Café Tesu, a boutique cafe in South Delhi that marries the wonderful worlds of food, coffee, art, and imagination.

Named after the popular Tesu flower, which is considered the flame of the forest in Central and Western India, this cafe is born out of a desire of combining the wonderful worlds of food, coffee, art, and imagination.

The brainchild of young entrepreneur Dhruv Goyle, Cafe Tesu began as a simple idea of a relaxed, casual, earthy café, quickly transformed into a more collaborative offspring; a space for co-existence, where you work in harmony with those best at what they do.

Located at the entrance of Essex Farms, Aurobindo Marg, the café offers a quaint lil space with over 50 covers. It's the kind of place you always romanticized; adding to the cafe's allure is its striking blue facade and the heavenly wafts of fresh coffee in the air.

Setting the tone for what lies within is the near-perfect decor of Cafe Tesu, which replaces the slightly stiff café culture that has come to be a norm. With a striking resemblance to the insanely beautiful island of Santorini (Greece), the interiors offer a breath of fresh air, accentuated by the warm pastel tones and floral hints in the furnishing.

The decor is best exemplified by scene-stealing trumpets chandelier adorning the ceiling and overlooking the vibrant space below. The art nouveau backdrop within, ethereal luminosity, and contemporary setting, together, render a simplicity that is both sophisticated and opulent.

The cafe's design tells a more ornate story with three-arched walls hued in pastel pinks and blues, featuring homegrown artwork and enveloping the space in an expressionist vibe full of energy and passion.

The globe-spanning menu at Cafe Tesu is another highlight, with a deep repertoire of dishes that leave a lasting impression. Bringing alive the organic remnants of an artisanal cuisine, Cafe Tesu impresses from the word go!

The entire menu brims with wholesome and shareable offerings made with both homegrown and handpicked ingredients.

Redefining the art of quintessential morning breakfast, the team has crafted a deliciously on-point menu for early birds. Start your epicurean journey with the Fresh Fruit Granola Parfait or the all-star French Toast made with Custard Batter. Try the extravagant egg selection, including scrumptious omelets, skillets, and scrambles.

The all-day menu at Cafe Tesu also boasts of signatures, including the family-style Tart Platter with different kinds of cheese, Baby Back Pork Ribs, Parma Ham Wrapped Chicken, and the Crab Meat Sushi Roll (from the Sushi Bar).

If you like pasta, go for the Spinach and Ricotta Cheese Ravioli (a.k.a. Torteloni) or Spaghetti Cefalu with prawns. For those who can't survive without their burgers, go all out with the indulgent and hearty Coq Au Vin Burger and Lamb Bourguignon Burger.

Dessert lovers can explore baked goodness in all its delectable forms, courtesy Chef Sahil Mehta. Have your fill of sweet with classic French confections, pastries, and cakes.

Looking beyond your plate to what's brewing in your cup, the coffee and tea menus shine a spotlight on two of the country's best. Using India's delicious beans for its brews, the café provides a powerful and provocative voice for Indian coffee. Those in search of an expertly brewed cup or wanting to explore the world of beans should look no further than the specialty coffee menu curated by DEVI.

Cafe Tesu's menu also offers three kinds of cold brew that will be served throughout the season.

One of the most exquisite Indian tea producers, Anandini Himalaya Teas, has developed a consumer-friendly palate with an international twist, all the while staying true to its roots of being natural, pure, and real.

Staying true to the very culture of artisanal cafés, Café Tesu endeavors to be a gathering spot for community, conversation, and...

Review Update! (Changed from 5 to 1) Had an ugly spat with the manager! Extremely unprofessional. I'm usually a calm person, but the manager was able to break my cool. Here's my story.

We were asked to declare our payment type once the bill was given to us, on which I actually hadn't thought about untill asked. On seeing the bill, I requested to remove the 5% service charge (which amounted to around Rs.250). On saying so, the waiter said, if done so, they wouldn't accept payment via Swiggy Dineout or Zomato Dining. I was triggered! This ain't the first time I'm eating out (we were a group of 5). I enquired about what kind of a rule was that and I also suggested to remove the cafe from such aggregators if they can't pay their commission. The waiter was firm and said that he wouldn't accept our payment through these apps and that there's a rule that they wouldn't accept payments via these aggregators if the service charge was removed! I asked them to show me this particular rule in any official document and that I would abide by it if it was there. He asked me to check it in Zomato. I tried and couldn't find any such rule. I asked the waiter to show it to me. He couldn't either. Then he called in his manager. Until now things were professional.

Enter the manager. Straight from the gecko, he was acting extremely rude and repeatedly kept saying that he wouldn't accept our mode of payment. I asked him umpteen times to show me any document that claims their said rule. He just kept fumbling on his phone trying to search for the 'rule' and just kept repeating like from a tape recorder that there's a rule. He even had the audacity to blame us that we weren't helping him by searching for the rule on our phones while he was trying to do so 😂, which was hilarious. We wasted almost half an hour waiting for the manager to show us this rule, which he finally failed to do. The manager left and a waiter came back to us and suggested we pay via eazydiner if that was ok with us. This seemed to be a decent suggestion as I was still able to get a good discount and still not pay via Swiggy or Zomato. I paid via eazydiner and left the place. There was no sorry, no remorse, nothing from the managers side. Only bundles of ego, which I left behind as tip at Cafe Tesu itself. Shoutout to the waiter who was able to suppress the tension!

Old review 👇

The ambience is lovely, the staff are (*were) courteous, and the food portions are apt. Highly recommended, but it could be a tad costly. They even have a...

I celebrated my mother’s birthday at Tesu this evening, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions ever! 🎉💖 From the moment we walked in, everything about the experience felt special and memorable.

🌿 Ambience: Tesu has a beautiful, cozy vibe that’s perfect for a celebration or just a peaceful meal. The interiors are tastefully done with soft lighting, a chic color palette, and comfortable seating that instantly puts you at ease. The outdoor seating is equally charming, surrounded by greenery that makes the place feel serene. Whether you’re here with family, friends, or even alone, the atmosphere is perfect for any occasion.

🍽️ Food: We decided to keep our meal fully vegetarian, and it did not disappoint! We ordered the Avocado Toast, Vietnamese Roll, Wild Mushroom Risotto, and Basque Cheesecake. Each dish was beautifully presented and tasted incredible. The Avocado Toast had a perfect balance of creaminess and crunch, the Vietnamese Roll was fresh and light, and the Wild Mushroom Risotto was hearty and flavorful with just the right texture. To end on a sweet note, the Basque Cheesecake was a heavenly treat—rich, creamy, and absolutely melt-in-the-mouth! 😍

What stood out the most was the attention to detail in the flavors. Every ingredient seemed thoughtfully chosen, and the dishes were perfectly balanced in taste and texture.

👨‍🍳 Staff & Service: The staff was exceptionally kind, courteous, and attentive. They checked in with us regularly to make sure everything was perfect without being overbearing. They even added a personal touch to make my mother feel special on her birthday.

💰 Value for Money: For the quality of food, the impeccable service, and the overall experience, Tesu offers fantastic value. It’s worth every penny!

⭐ Overall: Tesu made our celebration truly unforgettable. I’d highly recommend it for anyone seeking a relaxed yet upscale dining experience. I can’t wait to...