Makan

Some cafes make you feel welcome. Makan makes you wonder whether you should take your shoes off. The first thought I had on walking in was not what I wanted to order, but whose tiny house I had accidentally entered, and if the owners would mind if I stayed the afternoon.

A hole-in-the-wall cafe designed to resemble a contemporary Delhi home, Makan brings the familiar comforts of a house into a space where you can grab a drink, eat some cake and, ideally, spend a slow afternoon or evening. That is, if you can find a spot. Despite being tucked into one of the tiniest neighbourhood markets in Greater Kailash II, far from the bustle of M Block Market, it has already built a reputation as a favourite spot to work or settle in with a book.

The decor leans heavily into the idea of recreating someone’s home. Wood-framed windows, homely upholstery and family photographs, all finished with brass accents, give the cafe the feel of a private space. The name is fitting, too. Makan means home in Hindi, but in Malay, as co-founder Akshay explains, it means to eat. And while the setting does a fine job of making you feel at home, eventually, someone has to bring out the menu.

Their bev menu favours unconventional beans and dark pours, but they also do some fantastic matcha and hojicha. Their Wild Bloom Brew, for instance, is made with the rather uncommon Kangra coffee from Himachal Pradesh, bringing together fruity notes of litchi, jamun and sea buckthorn, and making for a fresh, slightly tart flavour.

On the food front, they're restricted to sweet bakes and pudding cups. I sampled the jaggery cashew cake, which was a great accompaniment to my coffee, plus the masala tea cake, which did a fantastic job of capturing the flavours of a cup of homemade masala chai.

Unique brews and combinations at Makan

What's truly great about the drinks at Makan, though, are how playful they are. Take the matcha menu, which mostly omits the matcha-milk affair. The Matcha Float, for instance, mimics the McDonald's McFloat, except they swap the ice-cream for an in-house matcha. The Strawberry Matcha's the winner, made with a chunky house-made strawberry compote, striking a truly great balance between earthy and sweet.

The drink I'd truly return for is the Balcony Brew – a sparkling coffee with citrus and orange blossom. It was bright, refreshing, and a great example of what the cafe gets particularly right. Not every coffee outing needs to be be about grabbing a quick caffeine fix or finding the most Instagram-worthy corner (though Makan does tick those boxes too). Often times, you want a place where you can settle in, have a conversation, or lose track of time without feeling like you're occupying someone's table for too long.

And that's where Makan's home-inspired idea really comes together. The communal seating encourages people to face one another rather than retreat into their own little corners, while the different spaces give you a reason to wander around and find your favourite spot. I started my visit as a guest, moved from one corner to another and somehow ended up behind the counter. I'll leave you to interpret that, but it's safe to say I was feeling quite at home. And isn't that precisely the point of Makān?