Ratna Cafe — Restaurant in Zone 9 Teynampet

Ratna Café on Triplicane High Road was established in 1948. This traditional South Indian food joint is favourite of old timers. As I remember my early days of my career at Chennai, we used to get lunch from this place at work and this was a routine. One carrier lunch was shared between three to four people. This was our favourite place for ordering food.

During our recent visit to Chennai, I was discussing with my two nephews, all the old food joints in Chennai during our discussion we decided to explore all the old places, one such place was Ratna Café. I was visiting this place after two decades, it was very nostalgic and still there are still good things to cherish here. The best part was, place has not changed and only thing which has changed is the name Ratna Café to Triplicane Ratna Café this may be because of the other branches they have opened. We ordered three traditional South Indiana lunch and flagship product Idle, Vada, Sambar Rose Milk & South Indian Filter Coffee. Even though I was coming after a long time nothing has changed taste, décor & dishes. Thanks to the management in keeping the tradition of pure vegetarian experience, the warmth and quality of food.

Some of the item price we bought are coffee is Rupees. 32/- Two Idles Rupees 55/- & Vada Rupees 40/- Rose Milk Rupees 52/- (Without taxes) The traditional lunch served on plantain leaf is Rupees 120/- (Including Tax). Since we wanted to experience plantain leaf lunch we sat outside, in the airconditioned hall the food is served on the plates.

This is place is open from 6.00 am to 10.30 pm and situated on Triplicane High Road and only two-wheeler parking...

After an exhaustive game of badminton at night thought I would sleep like a baby , So had my dinner and immediately I went to sleep but no God had other plans and I was not able to fall asleep after hours of scrolling Twitter, when I saw the time it was already 5 AM , so I decided to hit the road for some fresh air , then changed the plan to go to beach , so had bath and left home. Besant Nagar beach was awesome and then my stomach started to make weird noises, so I decided to fulfill my long awaited wish to have a nice authentic Pongal , and the first place I thought is this joint "Ratna cafe". Reached there ordered myself a Pongal initially, it was Sunday morning so there was some quite a rush , the dish came and from the pictures you can see the quantity is quite less for the price ₹.70, along with it a medhu Vada is must so I ordered it too. The waiter told "medu Vada will take time by then have your Pongal", me thinking this will be some kind of business tactics where by the time the Vada comes the Pongal will get over and we might order again, so I politely told him I'll wait no matter what , an then the vada came. I took a bite and god, it was so delicious ✨ ❤️. Next up I ordered masala dosa and I swear after a long time I had the best dosa and their chutney was too good. Finally to finish off , I had a nice filter coffee ☕. Overall the price is bit over but the taste makes it feels like worthy. Great option for...

🌟 Honest Review | Disappointed by the Hype

Visited this much-hyped and decades-old restaurant yesterday with high expectations — sadly, it turned out to be a major letdown. 😕

🔹 Service? Incredibly slow. Waited nearly 40 minutes just for the starters, and the staff seemed disorganized and inattentive throughout.

🔹 Food? Just okay. Nothing extraordinary. Tasted average at best — certainly didn’t justify the long wait or the price tag.

🔹 Pricing? Steep for what they serve. Compared to other well-established players in the market, the value-for-money here is lacking. You're paying mostly for the "legacy" — not the actual experience.

🔹 Ambience? Tired and outdated. While I respect the old-school vibe, the place felt poorly maintained. A fresh touch or even basic upkeep would have gone a long way.

🔹 Cleanliness? Could be better. Tables weren’t cleaned promptly, and the washrooms definitely need attention.

I understand some places ride on nostalgia and reputation — but in today’s competitive food scene, good service, consistent food quality, and fair pricing matter more than legacy alone.

Final verdict? Not worth the hype. Plenty of better options around that offer tastier food, faster service, and better...