Ciclo Cafe, located on a main street in South Chennai, is known to be the city’s first cycling cafe and is a popular hub for cyclists getting together over food. On a calm afternoon in late November, we made our way to the cafe anxious to see what the buzz was really all about. The doors to the cafe open up into this European-style, fine and chic hangout that makes you feel like you’re in a whole other city. The modern interiors with plush furniture give it a classy edge while the cycling-themed interiors keep the quirkyness of the cafe going. Cycle parts used as table stands, seating, wall decor, and lighting are something to look at and enjoy visually while you wait for your food to arrive. And the food? Oh, we’ll get to that in a bit.

The creation

Ciclo Cafe is a venture created by TI Cycles of the Murugappa Group and Absolute India, a company operating with serviced apartments, restaurants, and hotels across the country, well known in the city for it’s restaurant, L’amandier. Ciclo Cafe was an idea put together by Arun Alagappan of TI Cycles, and Ashish R Thadani of Absolute India.

The concept

In conversation with Arrzaan Jila of Absolute, we learnt that this venture was born out of a deep passion for cycling culture, keeping in mind the goal to bring cyclists together and “promote a healthy cycling lifestyle in the city”, he says. ‘Ciclo’ means bicyle in Italian and that’s where the cafe gets it’s name from, going with the theme as well. The cafe dishes out some amazing food and also retails high end bikes and bike accessories ranging from Rs.20,000 to Rs.3.5lakhs. Rentals are also given out at afforable rates, and for the enthusisats, cycling events are organised on a regular basis. “The next step would be to take it to more cities and spread the culture,” Arrzaan adds.

The food

The food at Ciclo cafe is something everyone would enjoy, no matter what the age. On a normal weekday, you would find a variety of customers including children, families, corporate individuals and groups, teenagers, and so on. Besides being that place you want to hit at lunch or dinner time, this cafe, open all day from 11am to 11pm, is also a place you can go to when you’re simply craving a drink or a snack at any time of the day. The menu changes occasionaly to keep things interesting and fresh, giving people more options to enjoy, and while you’re browsing through the pretty newspaper-designed menu, you’ll also catch a few facts and interesting reads now and then about cycling. Recently added to the menu were Dhansak, a Parsi dish, Vada Pav, and Chicken Tikka Pizza – to keep your regional cravings happy.

What we had

Virgin Pina Colada

A refreshing mix of coconut milk and pineapple juice makes this beverage a great thirst-quencher any day, besides the flavours that feel like a vacation.

Watermelon and Feta Salad

This light salad bursts with flavour – a simple flavour that will keep you coming back here for more. Fresh watermelon and feta cheese are a match made in heaven, and the olives and walnuts add to the magic with a little texture.

Bruschetta

One topped with roasted bell peppers had great flavour thanks to the sweetness of the peppers, olives, and a drizzle of olive oil. One topped with tomatoes and mozzarella waas delicious as the cheese was fresh and went well with the flavour of basil that topped it.

Pizza Chicken Margherita

You can’t go wrong with pizza. However, finding the right pizza on a hungry day is real difficult and should you ever face that dilemma, think Ciclo Cafe. This pizza had us believing why Ciclo was so popular for it’s pizzas. Thin crust, loaded with fresh cheese, and juicy chunks of meat.

Salted Caramel Cheesecake

Talk about a taste that lingers. This one was on our minds for a really long time, and still is! The gentle flavour of salted caramel and the soft yet rich texture of the cheesecake really feels like magic in your mouth. Do not leave this place without trying it. We can promise you this is a drool-worthy dessert that you’ll want every single day!

[schema type=”organization” orgtype=”LocalBusiness” url=”https://www.facebook.com/theciclocafe?fr” name=”Ciclo Cafe” description=”a relaxed and friendly environment with the cycling lifestyle being the backdrop for lovers of cycling to spend time with their families. Simple cafe food” street=”No. 33/47, Gandhi Mandapam Road Kotturpuram” pobox=”0″ city=”Chennai” state=”Tamil Nadu” postalcode=”600085″ country=”IN” phone=”04442048666″ ]