Here is a café that puts your mind on vacation amidst the hammering of the rain. Pools of hissing cappuccino, crisp scones cushioned with clotted cream, the nostalgia of nourishing conversations (now going extinct with the screen obsessions, but hola! here, refreshingly, laptops are persona non grata): Poetry by Love & Cheesecake arrives as a charming new café tucked away behind the nodding fronds in Bandra’s bylane.
The daintily tipped pink and white space embraces you in a warm hug (yes, the stucco walls are a whisper from Santorini!), complete with the classic NYC style cheese cake, a buttery madeleine and hazelnut cappuccino. Hear the crackle of the freshly baked, crisp, gluten-free toast as you tuck in the creamy goodness of the Smashed Avo Toast – an all-time favourite speckled with cheerful cherry tomatoes and chilli flakes. Light and lilting. The Croque Madame makes your heart sing with the smoky ham and creamy Gruyère belly, crowned with a fried egg. Feel happy slicing into fat stacks of pancakes and waffles — there are too many worthy options on the menu.
But there is something for everyone at Poetry as it celebrates the best and robust picks in American and European delights — in tiny plates, and robust meals. Ribbons of zucchini elbow aside the boring pasta as they wrap themselves around the juicy, seasoned meat in the Cannelloni with ricotta rubs. There is something so mouthwatering about tucking in the baked and brilliant dish that woos your senses with that prima donna marinara sauce.
“The idea behind Poetry is a space where you can enjoy breakfast after a morning stroll, drop in for an impromptu brunch, catch up with friends and family, or make time for a date. There are nibbles, mains, sweet somethings — for everyone with an expansive line-up of beverages,” says Chef Amit Sharma, co-founder of Poetry by Love & Cheesecake.
Call it a wrap with the Lotus Crookie — with the cookie curling up in a croissant punch. The treasured Lotus Biscoff within mates merrily with the powerful crusty crunch of the cookie. The best in the charmingly seductive savouries.
Read a book, write your own haiku, hum a song — here is a space that doesn’t let you down, whatever your mood. Soak up the birdsong, natural light (when the sun gives a watery smile), and the mini plates as you revel in the vibe. It’s fine not to do anything, for some time, in life.
Cost for two: INR 1,500 (approx.)
At Kamal Vishranti Kutir, opposite St Theresa School, Bandra West, Mumbai 400 052
Story by Shilpi Madan