Colchester: I reviewed Chaiiwala in the High Street

Chaiiwala launched its first-ever branch in the High Street on October 11 and it’s already getting numerous customers through its doors.

Chaiiwala Colchester is the company’s 96th store in the UK.

As it’s helping to bring drinks like chai tea and a variety of Desi foods to western audiences, we visited the city’s latest new addition to the High Street.

Business - the counter at Chaiiwala (Image: Newsquest) Tasty - different desserts on the counter display (Image: Newsquest)

Upon entering the café, you’re greeted by friendly staff and a calming atmosphere.

The business unit is fairly small, but it doesn’t feel claustrophobic, it feels welcoming thanks to the interesting décor.

You’ll spot dozens of individual lightbulbs, lit-up signage, green furnishings, a seating area, and images related to India.

But the first thing you’ll see when you walk in is the counter which displays a mix of samosas, pasties, cakes, and drinks.

There is also an interactive screen on the right to order a meal which you can use to pay by card.

Chaiiwala Colchester - signage (Image: Newsquest)

Décor - an image inside Chaiiwala (Image: Newsquest) After perusing the menu, it was clear Chaiiwala Colchester offers up an assortment of interesting food and drink options which can be customised.

If you want a hearty main, then there are Bombay bowls such as the butter chicken or the chana masala. You can customise your choice by including rice or chips.

There are all-day breakfast meals – a Desi Indian version and an ‘English-ish’ version. There are also all-day breakfast wraps available.

Chaiiwala also serves up Bombay toasties like cheese & chutney, or butter chicken and coleslaw.

When it comes to the ‘street snacks’ they have karachi bun kebabs, a veggie kebab, butter chicken rolls, loaded chips, aloo tikki burgers, and more.

Chaiiwala Colchester - a look at the lighting display and a seating area (Image: Newsquest) There are also plenty of hot and cold drinks available – chai teas, English tea, milkshakes, iced chai, frappes, and lemonade.

Essentially, they have breakfast, lunch, and dinner options covered, vegan options are available on the menu too.

For my meal, I purchased more than I normally would, just to try some different things.

I tucked into a lamb keema Bombay bowl priced at £8.95, with steamed basmati rice, a chickpea and potato salad, coleslaw, and chutney. It was flavoursome and very filling.

Delicious - my meal (Image: Newsquest) Dessert - the gajar halwa and karak chaii (Image: Newsquest) When it arrives, you receive a plastic covering in case you want to take it with you.

For dessert, there were many options like a Nutella wrap, gulab jaumn cheesecake, a gajar halwa ice cream sundae, but I went for the gajar halwa.

It’s a carrot-based pudding which was sweet but not too overpowering, striking the perfect balance at just £4.25.

I enjoyed a regular karak chaii tea for £3 and a limbu pani lemonade for £2.75, both were refreshing and went down a treat.

Overall, the price came to £18.95 which was very reasonable, especially considering I was purchasing more than I would normally intend to.

It felt like I only scratched the surface when it comes to the variable delights on offer at Chaiiwala Colchester but I certainly look forward to returning for more.