Welcome to Dropout Chaiwala

“ Visited Dropout Chaiwala around 6:30–7 PM with my mum, who is visiting Melbourne for the first time ????????. I had heard so much praise about this place from friends, so I really wanted her to experience it too. The atmosphere was lively, colourful, and full of energy — exactly the kind of fun chai vibe you’d expect . I also absolutely loved the branding of their cans — super trendy, vibrant, and eye-catching! I ordered the Masala Chai, and it was honestly 11/10 — strong, perfectly spiced, warm, and incredibly comforting . My mum ordered Thandai, but unfortunately we were served a Mango Lassi instead . The lassi was nice, but she was looking forward to trying the thandai. When we mentioned it, the staff member acknowledged it was lassi but didn’t offer an apology or any reaction, which felt a bit disappointing. I do understand that there were a lot of orders coming through at that time, and it was clearly very busy, so mistakes can happen. Still, a small apology or acknowledgment would have made the experience smoother, especially since it was my mum’s first Melbourne café outing. Overall, the chai was outstanding, the vibe was great, and the branding is amazing — but the customer service could be improved. Still, worth visiting for the flavours! ”

“ For when you just want a (temperature) hot cup of good chai. This is the third outlet in the CBD - i have tried all 3, and the consistency is good. I particularly like the ginger chai - full of warming spice notes. There are a variety of Indian snacks available too. ”

“ Update: I’m a sucker for new experiences and I’d never heard of paan leaf before. Thanks Merusri for pointing it out, unlabelled in the fridge next to the Biscoff cheesecake. (She is quite the salesperson). Apparently it’s a traditional digestive post meal snack, in the form of a paan leaf wrapped around dried fruit or other filling (which I just googled to discover it is another name for betel leaf! So I have had it before in a Thai restaurant once) - but I digress. This slightly sweet mousse had fine leaf particles through it and the taste was surprisingly floral! Nice. Original: A category bending delight: the Bun Bhujia from Dropout Chaiwala, a “fruit bun with Aloo Bhujia, tasting spicy and tangy”. Is it cheese? No idea but it was good. Very sweet bun offset by a mildly savoury filling with a both a smooth and crunchy texture. Yum! ”

“ I ordered a cardamom tea which was very tasty however I felt that they needed to review their prices. ”

“ I had the best food till now in Melbourne over here. Some people don’t know about the location. Location: southern cross station, top floor in front of Vodafone. The taste is just awesome and its healthy as well. This place is good for vegetarian people. Staff is also really nice. I love vadapav and the taste is just like we used to eat in India. The best tasty and healthy food I ever had in Australia till date. Thanks for the service and thanks for setting it up here. Its easy for students to eat something in time before there train or bus because the location is best. Don't have to go far to find good food. There also started healthy drinks for summer everyone should give a try to that one. ”

“ I am so happy with Ved’s service and ginger tea Wass so awesome. Its taste felt like home. The staff treated me like a family member for heating my lunch box in microwave. Being a RMIT student, I am struggling with budget on my lunch eating. He was so kind to heat my lunch in microwave ”

“ Had some snacks and tea. Great place for a quick bite. The seating area was very unclean though. ”

“ I tried Filter coffee and Paneer Sandwich. Both were great. Filter coffee came with added sweetness or else would have been 5 starred and felt Paneer Sandwich was a bit expensive. ”