Ratna Cafe — Restaurant in Tamil Nadu

One of the worst place to go for food.

What happened today at Ratna Cafe, Adyar, was beyond humiliating—an absolute disgrace. I cannot, in good conscience, recommend this place to anyone anymore. Here’s why: Business Meetings? Not Allowed: Apparently, meeting anyone for business/startup conversation here is a crime. Ramesh, Kitchen incharge upfront told don't come. Pay to Stay: You’re charged ₹500 for every half-hour you spend after finishing your food. Pay & leave ASAP. No Shelter from the Storm: Even if it’s raining cats and dogs, once you’re done eating, you go out. Zero Respect for Customers: The staff clearly don’t give a damn about creating a good experience.

This is a place I frequented daily for breakfast for almost a year. After being put off by their decreasing service stands, I stopped going. But today, I made the mistake of choosing to meet a friend there. Here’s how the nightmare unfolded: • Arrived at 9 AM. My customer joined at 9:15 AM. We stayed till 11 AM while it started pouring heavily outside. • As I couldn’t leave on my 2-wheeler, I stayed back, taking customer calls on laptop while explaining to the waiter, Sunil, that I’d leave by 12 or as soon as the rain eased. • Harassment Begins: Between 11-12, Sunil asked me EIGHT TIMES to leave. Eight times. He then smirks & cleverly informed me I was being recorded on their cameras, as per their MD’s orders, and he had ordered me to leave immediately. • Pay Up or Leave: At 12:02, just as I was wrapping up my call, I was told to pay ₹500 for every half hour or get out. Meanwhile, they had already turned off the AC — clearly a move to make me uncomfortable enough to leave.

I walked down at 12:05 and when I asked for the manager, a kitchen incharge Ramesh dupes as the Manager showed up. Instead of understanding the situation (it was raining heavily!), he told me bluntly, “This is an MD rule. Eat and leave. That’s it.” What baffles me is their sheer lack of customer-centricity and common sense. If meetings aren’t allowed, put up a sign. If you have time limits for dining, communicate it properly.

For a restaurant with a legacy like Ratna Cafe, the inability to train staff to handle situations tactfully is shocking. There were barely 2-3 people sitting on the first floor at the time. This wasn’t a peak hour, and their behavior was completely unreasonable. In the end, I had no choice but to leave, even though it was pouring outside. Their attitude toward customers is shocking.

Gone are the days when a good Sambar Idli could excuse poor customer service. In today’s world, food alone doesn’t run the show—customer experience does. I feel bad for recommending this place to so many people before.

If you're a customer looking for basic customer respect, think twice before you go to Ratna Cafe, Adyar. #BadExperience #PoorService #RatnaCafeAdyar...

There was a time when anyone would recommend Ratna Cafe as a must-visit for anyone visiting Chennai/Madras. The sambar and the unique way it was made and served have created folklore. It is with deep anguish, therefore, that I must share my experience today.

First and foremost, the entrance is not welcoming. Unclean. In clear need of upkeep. The section downstairs is not appealing at all to sit there and eat. We ( a group of 6 with two senior citizens) went to the first floor. It is only marginally better. The escalator is being used for both customers and service staff who have no regard to spilling food on the floor.

Second, the waiting staff look so disinterested. We were presented with a menu that was a badly assembled set of prints which had items that they serve for lunch ( the main items were North Indian). When I asked if these were all being served at 8 am, the waiter said that they weren't ( although I barely could hear him)

Third, and this is the bummer. The real heartburn. As a restaurateur and a foodie for life, I should have seen these signs, but still went ahead and ordered. I had already hyped up the place with my parents who were visiting Ratna Cafe for the first time. We ordered Idli, Vada, Mini Idli and Pongal.

Idlis - salty, cold Vada - oily, crumbly Mini Idlis - salty, inedible Pongal - bland, cold Sambar ( yes, the iconic sambar) - cold, sour. And the once intriguing style of the waiter coming to your table and pouring it just as it was getting over is no longer done. The waiter half-heartedly poured a bit of it and then left the pan at our table for the sambar to go cold Coffee - quite OK, but not enough to make up for all that happened before it

This experience is nothing short of a tragedy. These are legendary places. Even as I understand that businesses can go wrong, attitudes can change and that the market will always punish the complacent, when a place like this falls down, we lose something far more precious. We lose tradition. Because nobody else made the Idli-Sambar combo in Chennai like Ratna Cafe once did

I would no longer recommend this place and I am really...

Everyone in chennai, especially those who look forward to having a vegetarian breakfast every now and then or even always would know the name, Ratna Cafe. The restaurant is famous for its legendary "idli and sambar" and the way they serve it. Ratna cafe was into the concept of theatrics at the table way before it even became a thing. What more is that they managed to do it with something which looks so plain - idli. At this, I have to tell you they still don't disappoint. Never in my life have i imagined that eating idli would be so entertaining. During my recent visit to this legendary idli and sambar world on 30/8/23 , I had the opportunity of spectating this marvelous show of a whole saucepan's worth of sambar being poured over 2 relatively boring looking idlies. I would have paid the some of 90 rupees just to having watch them float peacefully over that lake of sambar. I'm sure it tasted mighty fine too. Personally, on that day I had ordered rava dosai, podi dosai and sambar vadai for myself (the total sum was around 290 rupees for it). I should say ratna cafe is nothing if not consistent with its taste and quality. They have somehow managed to keep the taste of their food the same over so many years, which I would say is a compliment when it comes to the food business but alas, i could not say the same about their decor and ambience. Albeit, i must say they were half way through renovating their den when i was there this time. Fingers crossed that it would look much better in the near future. I wouldn't go for the mood but I would never miss it for its taste! Like it's idlies, the restaurant manages to be simple, humble and tasty but... not very theatrical in the mood it sets when one walks in. All that aside, this restaurant is still one of the very few on my menu of hotels to eat a proper south Indian vegetarian breakfast all...