Exam week has its own food logic, and most of it is wrong. Somebody orders a large heavy lunch at one o’clock and then wonders why the two-to-four session is a complete write-off.
Short version: exam season food near Symbiosis should be lighter and more often, keep it warm and simple, and treat coffee as a tool rather than a personality. Idli or podi idli beats a heavy fried lunch, and filter kaapi in a small tumbler beats a giant milky coffee you’ll be regretting by evening.
The heavy lunch trap
A big, oily meal in the middle of a study day is the single most reliable way to lose the afternoon. Not because of any one ingredient — simply because a large meal demands attention that you were going to spend on revision.
Smaller and more often works better. Something steamed at midday, something warm at five, rather than one enormous plate and a nap you didn’t plan.
What to order across an exam day
| When | Order | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Morning, before it starts | Idli sambar, filter kaapi | Light, warm, won’t sit on you |
| Midday break | Podi idli | Quick, dry, eaten with one hand over notes |
| Afternoon slump | Filter kaapi, small | Concentration, not volume |
| Reward, after the paper | Benne masala dosa | You’ve earned the butter |
| It’s 9pm and you’re still going | Kaapi softy | Cold, sweet, less caffeine than another cup |
The coffee conversation
Filter kaapi is strong, and that’s the point — but the small tumbler is doing you a favour. A concentrated coffee you finish in ten minutes is a very different thing from a large one you sip for an hour and top up at six in the evening.
Standard advice during exam weeks is to set an afternoon cut-off and hold it. If you’re sleeping badly in exam season, the late coffee is the first suspect, not the last.
The stamp card works in your favour here
Nine coffees, tenth one free. Exam fortnight is when people discover how quickly that card fills — here’s how it works, if you haven’t asked for one yet.
Where to sit
Upstairs is quieter than the ground floor, with proper tables and chairs that hold you up. It’s good for an hour or two of work; we’ve been honest about where we do and don’t work as a study spot.
We’re on Symbiosis Law School Road at Shubh Nirvana, a walk from campus. Good luck — genuinely. Say what you’re studying for and the counter tends to be sympathetic. More on @benneandbrew, and the menu’s here.
See the menu · Get directions · Call +91 94033 32769 · Book a table
Frequently asked questions
What should students eat while studying?
Lighter, warm food in smaller quantities: steamed dishes like idli rather than heavy fried meals, which are what make you sleepy an hour later. Eating a little more often beats one large meal in the middle of a study day.
Does filter coffee have more caffeine than tea?
Coffee is generally higher in caffeine than tea by volume, though filter kaapi is served in a small tumbler, so a single cup is not necessarily a large dose. The concentration is what people notice.
When should I stop drinking coffee before sleeping?
Caffeine’s effects last for hours and vary by person, so a late-afternoon cut-off is the common advice during exam weeks. If you are sleeping badly in exam season, the 7pm coffee is the first thing to move.