We were blown away by the impeccable service, avant-garde décor and the tantalising menu on our recent trip to Café Chai in Banstead. It really is a must try and ticked every reviewer box.
On arrival we were greeted by Cathy the owner and her ultra-friendly team and shown to our seats in the bustling restaurant which was completely full on our Monday lunchtime visit, another good sign!
TASTE EXPLOSION
We had heard nothing but rave reviews about Café Chai and in particular its homemade chai, locally roasted organic coffee and speciality teas. We went for the famed Chai Latte which was made with oat milk and topped with cinnamon and a standard whole milk cappuccino – both were delicious.
The food menu at Café Chai is diverse and all-encompassing as well as specials and the most delicious Artisan cakes, locally made pastries and sweet treats – the double-sided menu has some real standout main dishes.
We were instantly drawn to ‘The Big Brioche’ which is Chai’s signature dish of buttered brioche toast stacked with melted red Leicester cheese, beef tomato, rocket, griddled bacon, sausages and topped with a poached egg.
This dish was a taste explosion. When we cut it open the poached egg was cooked to perfection with a soft but not too runny yolk, perfectly offset by the crispiness of the bacon and the creamy, melted Red Leicester. The salad and sausage and sourdough were sublime too and the dish was also beautifully presented with an edible flower on top. Although we went for the standard version of this dish you can add extra ingredients including mushroom, halloumi, avocado or an extra egg (or all of the above!) for a small additional charge.
Next up we went for ‘Chai This’ which is another firm favourite on the menu according to Cathy. This dish consisted of smashed avocado with garlic and lime, served on sourdough toast with chilli flakes, pumpkin seeds, baby plum tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, rocket and pomegranate seeds. It was so tasty and a healthy option too.
New(-ish!) on the Café Chai menu is a range of salads including the colourful ‘Chicken & Mango Summer Salad’ which also comes with red onion, croutons, plum tomatoes and strawberries. So delicious. There are also options like ‘Granola Berry Bowl’ ‘Sweet Chilli Chicken Wrap’ and ‘Brie & Parma Ham Bagel’ so all tastes are catered for at Café Chai.
After filling up on lattes and delicious mains we ordered a slice of the ‘Vegan Carrot Cake’ to take home. The cream cheese frosting was delicious and the carrot cake so moist. We had our eye on the ‘Coconut & Raspberry Cake’ and ‘Double Chocolate Oreo Cookies’ so will definitely be back to try these soon.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT
Café Chai, who also happen to be winners of the ‘Highly Commended’ Surrey Award for Best Café and the ‘Reigate & Banstead Award for Customer Service’, are now opening in the evenings due to popular demand.
Chai open from 6.30pm-10.30pm every Thursday and Friday for bookings and walk-ins. They offer fantastic bar bites and a charcuterie menu in the evening as well as having an alcohol license to serve drinks with dinner.
And if you fancy a tipple in the day at Chai they do a brilliant ‘Brunch Cocktail Menu’ with Bloody Marys, Mimosas, Aperol Spritz and Kir Imperials.
Cathy, owner of Cafe Chai, said: “It’s been so wonderful serving the people of Banstead and beyond for 4 years now that due to popular demand we have introduced an evening option. We are so pleased that customers are enjoying our service, food and Café. With a capacity of 45 we are also available for private hires and do regular Supper Clubs with a range of celebrity chefs.”
It’s best to book in early for these as they sell out instantly (before even hitting their social media!) due to their popularity.
CONTACT
Café Chai
135 High Street
Banstead
SM7 2NS
Tel: 01737 351371
Email: info@cafechai.co.uk
Website: www.cafechai.co.uk
