Dig into scrumptious pasta and crepes, while listening to classic rock tunes at Cafe Avail 

Sainikpuri gets an all-new cafe that offers more than just pizzas and sandwiches. At Cafe Avail, try their pancakes, crepes and all-day breakfast. 
Avail Special Pasta
Avail Special Pasta

If you’re a resident of Sainikpuri, you’d agree with me when I say that the last three years have seen numerous cafés cropping up in and around the area. The newest on the list is Café Avail, that opened a few weeks ago. City-based Arun Aloysius, who co-owns the café with Ivan Lendl, argues that their eatery offers dishes that others probably don’t. “Have you had crêpes and pancakes in Sainikpuri before?” he asks. 

Located on the buzzing Hill Top Colony, the 40-seater has a section dedicated to young performers and open mic nights. “Both Ivan and I are dancers. We remember our initial days where opportunities were less. Café Avail is open to help such aspiring artistes perform – be it music, dance or stand-up comedy,” Arun explains. 

Interiors at Café Avail
Interiors at Café Avail


The idea of the café, he adds, is to offer good food with a curated list of songs from pop, classic rock and funk. “We’ve observed that not every restaurant gives enough importance to the kind of music they play. Since we always missed that in a lot of good restaurants across the city, we made sure we kept that in mind while designing our café,” he shares, pointing towards the wall art at the entrance that has faces of popular English musicians from Michael Jackson to James Brown and Madonna. The black and white checkerboard floor with glass doors and lamps hanging from the roof are some interesting elements that add to the design aesthetics. 

Shake it off
The café is not just for the all-day breakfasts but also has enough for afternoon snacking and a scrumptious dinner – be it the Continental Egg Breakfast or the nine-inch thin crust pizzas. There’s also a wide range of toasted breads and choice of eggs that you could pick from. We begin our meal with Avail Special Pasta (penne cooked in pink sauce with chicken, bell peppers, olives and seasoning), which is served with two pieces of garlic bread. Though the pasta had a hint of red chilli flakes, it does not seem overpowering and is rather delicious. The garlic bread has a crispy outer layer and is soft inside with a generous amount of seasoning. While we are busy finishing up the pasta, the café’s signature M&M shake arrives. The shake is a mix of M&M’s, choco syrup and vanilla ice cream and is topped with whipped cream, a few colourful button-shaped M&Ms and choco sticks. In the first sip itself, I get a strong taste of the candy, doing complete justice to the name. The finishing notes of the candy pieces make this one a hit. 

M&M Shake
M&M Shake


A sweet tale
We also try the Veg Mexican Crêpe, which could make for a satisfying meal in itself. The crêpe has a flavoursome filling of bell peppers, corn, cole slaw and coconut milk and is garnished with grated cheese. People who don’t enjoy the flavour of coconut can request the waiter to customise it according to their preferences.

Veg Mexican Crêpe
Veg Mexican Crêpe



We end our meal on an overly sweet note with the Banana Pancakes. This is the traditional pancake with maple syrup topped with fresh bananas and is strictly for the ones who don’t count calories. An added attraction is the vanilla ice cream (served with pancake) and choco sticks. With enough options to serve people with different tastes and pocket-friendly prices, this café definitely demands a second visit.

Banana Pancake
Banana Pancake


Price for two: Rs.800.
Pics: Vinay
Madapu

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