The palpable nip in the air, and a beginning to the perfectly pleasant Hyderabad winter makes us all crave for time outdoors this time of the year, be it at the local park for a quick walk, or a long drive away from the city. We also enjoy dining al fresco in quaint spaces, with the slight chill adding to the overall pleasantness to our evenings. This week, we checked out one such café that kept us hooked for hours.
Barefoot Café is set up in a three decade old duplex in the heart of the city. We walked down the stairs to find the coffee bar, done up in beautiful sage green tiles and handpicked art complementing it. Going further, the outdoor space opens up. Complete with aesthetic landscaping, concrete seating ideal for meetings, and ample greenery enough to engage plant parents for hours, the space called out to us immediately.
Indoors, the vibe is cosy, with a wall full of antique and vintage artefacts. We even spotted a vintage cassette holder, stocked with a selection of chartbusters from the 90s. The café retains the home-like ambience upstairs, set up specially for private parties and pop-ups. The menu consisted o f comfort food options, going perfectly with the weather outside. The Thai roasted paneer, a zingy dish with crispy paneer tossed in Asian spices kickstarted our appetite. We paired this with the refreshing O range frioska , an orange, mint and pomegranate-based cooler.
As the sun went down, we dove straight into a bowl of Alfredo penne generously garnished with parmesan. The creamy, comforting pasta dish is all we needed on the nippy evening. We’d also recommend the stir-fried rice tossed in julienned bell peppers and a host of spices, making it a wholesome dish by itself. Cheesecake fans, you’re in for a treat with Barefoot Café’s Blueberry cheesecake. With an incredibly crumbly and soft texture, the dessert made our evening out worth it.
Rs 1,000 for two. At Banjara Hills.