This new chic spot in Chennai brings signature cold coffee and hearty meal plates

Cosy is a word that gets overused in café descriptions. The newly opened DVNE earns it. And we witnessed it first hand. The teal and cream colour palette works quietly together at this place, the geometric tile floor gives the space a bit of structure. The record player in the corner with its paisley-patterned lid, the Thriller album propping up against the shelf, the small stacks of hardbound books, all of it adds up to something that feels warm.

Good music playing quietly in the background did not hurt either. These elements already set the tone for us, and the food gave us more reason to stay longer at the place.

We started with the beverages, and the DVNE cold coffee was our first order. It is the one everyone recommends and for very good reason. The balance is right, a chill that does not dilute the coffee and a flavour that stays with you. We can understand why it is everyone’s go-to.

The Brown butter toast was what we tried next—thick-cut and golden with brown butter doing most of the heavy lifting and a Nutella drizzle adding just enough sweetness to make the whole thing indulgent. We finished it before we meant to.

The Gochujang mac and cheese is yet another most talked-about dish in the café. Creamy, and well-spiced with a gochujang kick that was confident, it was topped with micro greens that added a herby freshness that we genuinely appreciated. All in all we loved this twist on the classic mac and cheese.

Our next order was from the ‘meal plates’ section. The Teriyaki katsu rice plate was indeed a full meal. Crispy chicken katsu with a proper, satisfying crunch, with teriyaki curry layered over the top and egg fried rice underneath had enough flavour to not just be a carrier for everything else.

On the sides, we sipped the Berry matcha. Fresher and lighter, the matcha carried a gentle berry brightness that made it easy to drink through the whole meal.

The London cake closed our culinary trail for the evening. It was soft, moist, and was finished in no time.

Meal for two: INR 1,000++. 8 am to 10 pm. At DVNE, Nungambakkam, Chennai.

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