Tea'se Me — Rooftop Cafe & Bar

Tea'se Me, Rooftop Cafe & Bar

Tea'se Me carries one of the highest ratings of any mid-range restaurant in Agra — around 4.8 from more than 2,300 reviews, which puts its score above Peshawri's while costing a quarter as much. It is a rooftop cafe and bar in the Taj Ganj district, and it is the most popular answer to a specific question: where do you sit and have a drink at the end of a monument day without paying hotel prices?

What to order

Indian food, with a bar menu. The dishes that come up repeatedly are the standard north Indian rooftop range — paneer tikka, butter chicken, dal makhani, tandoori kebabs, biryani, naan — plus masala chai, which given the name is worth ordering properly. Cocktails and beer are available, which is less common in Agra than you would expect and is part of why this place is busy.

Vegetarians are well covered; the paneer and dal dishes are the safe orders.

The rooftop

The reason to come at a specific time is the roof. Agra's Taj Ganj hotel district has a cluster of rooftop restaurants, and the value of them is sunset — you get warm light, a view over the low city, and on some roofs a distant sightline toward the Taj. Go for about 5:30 PM in winter or 6:30 PM in summer, order chai or a beer, and stay through the light change.

Ask for a rooftop table when you arrive. Ground-floor seating at a rooftop restaurant is the common mistake.

Practical

• Taj Ganj, within walking distance of the East Gate and of Joney's Place, Maya and Sheroes Hangout.
• About 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM — a long window that covers lunch, sunset and dinner.
• ₹800–2,000 for two with drinks. Moderate by Agra standards.
• Serves alcohol, which most budget Agra restaurants do not.
• Cards and UPI accepted; check the bill for a service charge before tipping.
• Busy at sunset and after 8:00 PM. Reserve in peak season or arrive early.

The Agra rooftop set

Tea'se Me, Shankara Vegis (rooftop with a Taj view, pure vegetarian), Sky Grill, Taj Jharokha and Chia Taj View Cafe are the main ones. Rooftops are the best-value upgrade available in Agra — the price difference over a ground-floor meal is small and the experience difference at sunset is large. If you only do one, do this one.