A Guide to Coffee in and Around the Insti

(Update 2025: All Instant Coffee has been relegated to a section at the bottom)
(Disclaimer: This list is solely based on the personal opinions of the author)

(Note: This list is subject to change and expand as and when I discover more places. Suggestions for coffee places to try out, both good and bad, are not only readily welcome but are heartily encouraged)

(Note: Most of these "coffees" is just Nescafé instant coffee. Since canteen people mostly eyeball the relative quantities of coffee powder and sugar, constancy of experience at most of these places cannot be vouched for*).

*Update 2025: And thus that's no longer the focus

Filter Coffee
Cafe 92, Library Canteen, CCD, Chaayos - Hot Filter Coffee
Chaayos, CCD - Iced Filter Coffee

Espresso-based Coffee
Inside IITB (Cafe 92, CCD, Gloria Gold^, Gulmohar Garden Restaurant)
The offerings being Café 92, Gulmohar Garden Café and CCD. Civil Café is essentially Café 92's rooftop version, so that's another option. A cloud kitchen café called 

1. Café Coffee Day (CCD), Energy Building 
This is the obvious choice for espresso-based coffee inside campus. 

2. Gloria Gold Coffee (It's an internet café, meaning there is no brick and mortar location)
Pros
It delivers throughout the insti
Best coffee in insti at the time of writing
Huge selection of coffees, both hot and cold
Aesthetics check out, with an option to write personalised messages on cups or random quotes
Proper café quality coffee available at much cheaper rates than outside insti
Cons
With prices ranging from ₹ 75-120 per cup (more for certain items) it can't be a daily fix
There is no physical café where great coffee as this could be enjoyed with ambience 

INSTANT COFFEE

  1. H16 Mess (Catered by KUBER Healthfoods Pvt.Ltd. at the time of writing) 
    • Pros
      • As near to the hostel room as it gets (unless you have coffee available in your room)
      • As cheap as it gets (FREE!) (mess charges don't count, come on)
      • Isn't that bad 
    • Cons
      • Only available during breakfast and snacks
      • Taste is variable 
      • Isn't exactly good either

  3. Dhun Enterprises (aka H16 general stores) (Review of their Hot Coffee)
    • Pros
      • Available the entire daytime, and right at the hostel
      • At Rs. 12 a cup, it's pretty cheap
    • Cons
      • Watered-down, weak, and horrible tasting
      • It is basically pre-mix in hot water
      • Even at Rs. 12 a cup, it isn't worth drinking
  4. Aromas (Review of their Bada Coffee)
    • Pros
      • Tastes really awesome
      • Has a creamy, full-bodied, indulgent texture
      • It has both a balanced sweetness and strength
      • Is available till 3 AM (a blessing for pulling an all-nighter)
      • A good quantity for a reasonable price point of Rs. 20
    • Cons
      • Not available during the day
      • Isn't very close to either the hostels or the library 
  5. Cafe 92 (Review of their Cappuccino)
    • Pros
      • The only real coffee on the list so far
      • Made from freshly ground beans in a proper espresso machine
      • You get a "Cafe ambience" (or at least as close as possible, by Insti standards)
      • Right at the entrance to the Elec building (subtle branch flex hehe)
    • Cons
      • At Rs. 60 a cup, it can't be a daily thing 
      • It's a new place, so I'm only writing one point in the Cons section
  6. Shiru Cafe
    • Pros
      • FREE! (and up to 3 cups a day!)
      • Located in the vicinity of lecture halls
    • Cons 
      • The coffee itself tastes mediocre
      • It's weak and watered down
      • The lines are long when any event or lecture lets out from LA (saying this from a one-time experience, may bebe this isn't always true*)  *edit: this is always true 
  7. Gulmohar Cafe (Basically the place with outside seating, not the restaurant inside)
    • Pros
      • The coffee is okay
    • Cons
      • At around Rs. 32 (+GST) it is relatively expensive, considering the quantity is nearly the same as a Rs. 10 cup available at Aromas/H10 etc.
      • Definitely not worth the price
      • It's also quite far from the hostel or the library, the two main areas where you need a fix
  8. Staff Canteen
    • Pros
      • It's the place closest to the library and RH
      • The coffee is decent enough
      • At Rs. 17 a cup, the price isn't too high
    • Cons
      • The texture and body could be better
      • You are paying Rs.17 for the exact same amount you'll get elsewhere at Rs.10
  9. H10 Canteen**
    • Pros
      • Tastes pretty good
      • Has a creamy and indulgent texture
      • Available till 3AM (especially useful if you're studying in the LHC during exam time)
      • Pretty reasonable for its price (Rs. 10)
    • Cons
      • Far from the hostel area, and not exactly close to the library either
      • Doesn't really cater to the daytime crowd despite its proximity to LHC 
      • **update: H10 canteen has been closed indefinitely since September '22
  10. H9 Canteen***
    • Pros
      • Available 24x7 
      • Reasonable price point of Rs. 10
    • Cons
      • Unless you live in H9 or nearby hostels, it's distant from the action
      • The coffee is excessively sweet                                         
      • ***update: H9 canteen has been closed indefinitely since December '22



I'm almost certain to add more stuff here, so stay posted.

Constructive criticism and suggestions are invited. ∎
AB
 

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