Rarely do you come across a café that your grandmother and your friends would both approve of. Beyond The Cup somehow manages to be both. This all-veg café opened up thanks to a rather relatable problem: lack of good vegetarian spots in the vicinity of Kilpauk. With a neighbourhood dominated by Marwari, Gujarati and North Indian families, the founder duo, Ritesh and Ashish, neighbours-turned-best friends, and eventually, business partners, knew what they had to do: go full veggie, and cater to the Jain crowd and all age groups.
Don’t mistake this place for a sprout salad zone, though. The menu is playful and bold, with Japanese-style snacks, Sindhi-inspired dips, and so much more. We started with a hot matcha latte, deeply vegetal and earthy, best savoured slow. We were too scared to down it in one go, so we took our sweet time finishing it.
The Vietnamese coffee was life-altering. A double shot espresso with just the right amount of condensed milk and a dash of milk, this drink could very well become part of our morning routine.
Appetisers came in hot with the Edamame with togarashi and garlic, served in the pod and dusted with Japanese spice mix and crisped garlic. It looks unassuming, but before you realise it, your hands are auto-piloting pod after pod. This is the kind of snack you get when you want to yap with your friends and need something to nibble casually.
Next up, the Roasted pumpkin and coconut soup, thick, subtly sweet, and served in a pretty pastel bowl that’s basically Instagram bait. There’s no swimming veggie bits, no fuss, just pure warm comfort.
A few cross-cultural stunners were the real stars of the table. The Dal pakwan hummus is smooth, creamy and crowned with green, sweet and spicy chutneys. The crisp pakwan, a Sindhi touch from Ashish’s home, adds crunch to the dish. Then we tried the Singaporean cereal paneer, soft on the inside, crispy on the outside, tossed in oats, red chilli, and curry leaves that deliver a delightful snap and crackle with every bite.
We also tried the Creamy mushroom crostini, which features mascarpone mushroom sauce and sautéed mushrooms on a sourdough bread slice. And yes, there’s feta on top because the only thing better than cheese is two cheeses.
Our last plate, the Tex-Mex bowl, didn’t reinvent the wheel but it definitely fed our soul. Soft grilled paneer, salsa, sour cream, and lemon coriander rice, we were full, happy, and ready for a nap.
Meal for two: ₹1,200++. From 12.30 pm to 10 pm, and 7 pm to 11 pm. At Harleys Road, Davidpuram, Kilpauk.
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