Chai
What is a chai tapri?
A tapri is a small roadside stall, most often selling tea. It is the place in an Indian neighbourhood where you stop for a quick cup, a quicker snack and a long conversation.
From the Tapri Chai kitchen · November 2026 · 2 min read
Tapri means
Small roadside stall
Sells
Chai and snacks
Feels like
A neighbourhood hub
Open
All day, often late
01
What a tapri is
The word tapri is used across India for a small shack or kiosk, usually at a street corner or by a bus stop. Many sell tea, so “chai tapri” is the picture most people have of one: a pot on a flame, a few stools or a plank bench, and a queue of regulars.
02
What happens there
People stop on the way to work, between classes or after dinner. Students argue about exams, friends plan weekends, and office colleagues take a break. A tapri is less a shop than a meeting place where everyone is welcome and nobody rushes you.
The tea is fast, strong and cheap, and it keeps coming in small cups. It is also the place where you find the simplest snacks: buns, biscuits, fried fritters and toasted sandwiches.
03
The food at a tapri
Menus are short because they are made for speed. Typical favourites are:
- Chai in small glasses or clay cups.
- Bun maska and plain biscuits for dipping.
- Samosas, kachoris and pakoras, fried and served hot.
- Toasted sandwiches and vada pav.
- Maggi noodles, a late-night student classic.
04
Why it matters to us
Tapri Chai takes its name from exactly this idea. Our founders, Naina and Parth, wanted a space to recreate school days spent at the local tapri, where a quick break meant connection, laughter and shared experiences.
That is why the menu is built around chai and street food, and why the cafe stays open until 11pm.
05
Find ours in Barrhaven
You will find Tapri Chai at 200 Kennevale Dr Unit 104 in Barrhaven, Ottawa, open Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 11pm. Start with Kadak Chai ($4.49) and a Vada Pav ($5.49), the way a tapri would serve it.
Questions, answered.
What does tapri mean?
Tapri means a small roadside stall or kiosk in Hindi. A chai tapri is a tea stall.
What is a chai tapri like?
It is a small, informal stall with a simple menu of tea and snacks, popular as a gathering place for students, workers and neighbours.
Why is the cafe called Tapri Chai?
The founders named it after the roadside tea stalls where they spent time in school, and wanted to recreate that feeling of connection and community.
What do you eat at a tapri?
Chai, bun maska, biscuits, samosas, vada pav, toasted sandwiches and Maggi are all typical.
Is there a tapri in Ottawa?
Tapri Chai in Barrhaven is a chai and street food cafe inspired by Indian tapris. The kitchen is 100% vegetarian.
At Tapri Chai
Taste it for yourself.
Our kitchen in Barrhaven is 100% vegetarian. 200 Kennevale Dr Unit 104, Ottawa. Tuesday to Sunday, 11am to 11pm. Closed Mondays.