Udaipur is the city that earns the description "most romantic in India" without effort. Lake Pichola, the City Palace rising directly from its shores, the Taj Lake Palace floating in the middle of the water, the Aravalli hills providing the backdrop — the setting was designed, over five centuries of Mewar rule, to be overwhelming. It succeeds.
The chai culture of Udaipur reflects its character: a little more refined than the rest of Rajasthan, a little more saffron, a little more inclined toward the ceremonial. Kesar chai — saffron tea — is not an affectation here. It is the standard.
Kesar Chai: Udaipur's Signature
Saffron has been grown in Rajasthan and Kashmir for centuries, and the Mewar royal household's use of it in food and drink filtered downward into the domestic culture of the city over generations. The kesar chai served in Udaipur's cafes and homes contains genuine saffron — bloomed in warm milk, its colour and fragrance unmistakeable.
The Udaipur version is made lighter than Delhi or Jaipur masala chai — fewer spices, less ginger, the saffron and cardamom as the dominant notes. It is a chai for lingering over while looking at a lake, not a chai for beginning a working day.
Where to drink it:
- Ambrai Restaurant, lakeside below the Amet Haveli: the most atmospheric setting in the city, with direct views across Lake Pichola to the City Palace and the Lake Palace. Their kesar chai is served as an afternoon option and is the reason to arrive an hour before sunset.
- Cafe Edelweiss (Gangaur Ghat area): a rooftop café with genuine espresso and genuine kesar chai coexisting without embarrassment, serving Udaipur's European tourist visitors who discover, often to their surprise, that they prefer the chai.
- The chai stalls on the Jagdish Temple steps: the most local option, made quickly and inexpensively, drunk on the steps watching the pilgrims arrive and the city organise itself around the morning.
The City Palace and the Maharana's Kitchen
The City Palace Museum — one of the largest palace complexes in Rajputana, accumulated over nearly 400 years — contains documentation of the Mewar royal kitchen traditions, including detailed records of the spices used in court preparations. Kesar featured prominently in everything from rice dishes to the royal chai blend.
The palace's Zenana Mahal (women's quarters) section has a small exhibit on court domestic life that includes the copper vessels used for brewing — enormous, ornate, designed for making chai at a scale appropriate to a royal court.
Monsoon and Udaipur
Udaipur in monsoon (July–August) is one of Rajasthan's most surprising experiences. The desert state transforms into something lush and green; the lakes fill dramatically; the humidity arrives after years of dry air. The locals celebrate Hariyali Teej and Gangaur with particular enthusiasm, and the chai culture shifts to accommodate the season — more ginger, more black pepper, the anti-damp spice adjustment that North India makes instinctively.
“📍 North IndiaIn Udaipur, the chai is as carefully composed as the view. Both have been thought about for a long time. Both reward your full attention.