CHENNAI: From Drunken Monkey to Bistro 1427, CE handpicks six cafes where you can eat, relax and play board games without a fret or care
Drunken Monkey
Work, play and chill is what you can do at all the outlets of Drunken Monkey. Launched in November 2017, it has 12 branches across the city and each one houses different games. “While games like UNO, Jenga, Scribble, Chess and Chinese Checkers are available in all the outlets, the Velachery outlet boasts a large foosball table where eight persons can play at a time. The outlet on the Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) has air hockey.
When people enter Drunken Monkey, they don’t ask for the menu, they begin by choosing games and then the shakes. Patrons spend at least an hour in the cafe. Games are certainly a major crowd puller,” says S Sriram, Chennai area coordinator. The cafe has 170 varieties of smoothies, made from locally sourced natural ingredients without preservatives. The OMR branch is open till 3 am in the night.
Ashvita Bistro
The gaming scene at Ashvita Bistro, Alwarpet gained momentum in 2013 when a few board games were purchased for an event they had organised. The idea was to create an artistic space for people to communicate and connect. “Board games are a good contributor. Children sit for six hours together and play when they come for birthday parties.
Taboo is popular among kids. When we host events, the board gaming communities bring unique board games that are unheard of. We have kept recognisable board games so families find it easier to play and do not have to break their head over rules,” says Nahshon J Benjamin, events manager of Ashvita. There are about 15 board games. In an effort to appeal to people who are not very active in the board game community, they have a mix of easy-to-play games. They have regular Jenga and checkers. We can also find mystery board games like Ludo, Corridor, Murder Mansion, Monopoly and Battleship. No separate fee for games is charged.
Stories — The Library Cafe
Nestled in a residential locality in KK Nagar, this quaint cafe is the perfect escape if you’re looking for a place to unwind amid books and board games. The three-month-old cafe is attached to what once used to be Bookworms library. The lending library continues to operate and is an ideal place for bibliophiles. But if you are looking to doing something fun and laidback while you sip a hot cuppa and munch some tasty vegetarian munchies, head here to play a game of Monopoly, Scotland Yard, Scrabble, Chess, Uno, Jenga or even Pallanguzhi! The ambience is warm and a special mention must be made of the book wall. The cafe has a beautiful outdoor seating area too. “The cafe is a community hotspot because there are a number of options available to engage — books, board games and even a space for open mics. Geographically too, this side of the city hardly has any cafes so ours is a unique haunt that people can visit to chill,” says Ko Sesha, proprietor.
Bistro 1427
What started off as just Snakes and Ladders behind the menu card became a way of life at this restaurant. This chain of restaurants with branches in Mylapore, Nungambakkam and Velachery has a number of board games that customers can play while they wait to be seated. Jenga, Scramble, Snakes and Ladders, Chess, Tic-Tac-Toe and Indian Ludo — the restaurant has games that suit everyone’s sensibility. “The board games have now become the USP of our restaurant,” says Koushik Raghavendra, the proprietor of the one-year-old restaurant. “Since we make fresh food and have nothing that is pre-made, food preparation takes some time. This way, the customer can have a fun time. It also pushes people to enjoy the moment rather than constantly be on their phones clicking selfies or messaging. It forces them to engage.”
Backyard
Every table at Backyard has some element of interaction — a butter sheet that can be used to play tic tac toe or a riddle stuck on one of the corners. The co-working space has active board game sessions since its inception in 2017. “We have handmade board games with a personal touch. There are board game events every month as well to encourage the culture,” says Akshaya and Nithya, the founders of Backyard. From games like Forget That, Chump, and Pictionary, to Five-Second Rule they have it all. People can also bring their games and play.
Timings: 10 am to 10 pm
Address: 53/23, Third Main Road, Gandhi Nagar, Adyar
Contact: 7358458117
The Board Game Lounge
Located in Adyar, The Board Game Lounge is Chennai’s first exclusive board game cafe. With a massive collection of 250 board games, the cafe’s relaxed atmosphere and low prices offer a perfect opportunity to spend hours of fun with friends. While you are here, you can choose to play the traditional Monopoly, Scrabble (including a Mario-themed monopoly, compete with little figurines of Mario, Peach, Toad and Donkey Kong), and more complex and contemporary board games like Scythe and Game of Thrones: The Board Games, which can take six hours to play. The lounge offers quick bites to accompany your gaming sessions, such as homemade banana bread and strawberry tea cake.