The Square by Cafe Coffee Day gives you the experience of exotic brews and the nostalgia of hanging out at the cafes we grew up on

Who wants a regular coffee and a cookie when you can take things up a notch? Cold brews that create drama with smoke, exotic wellness beverages made of avocado, sea buckthorn, chamomile to make you feel virtuous and fusion delicacies that tease your palaté with its flavours? The pan-Indian café chain Café Coffee Day (CCD) decides it’s time Hyderabadi coffee and tea lovers get a taste of its new age, indulgent menu and opens its first The Square, a fine-dine outlet at Road no 10, Jubilee Hills, this month. “At The Square, we cater to a discerning audience with an evolved taste, guests who are well-informed, well-travelled, like to experiment and have a passion and appreciation for the finer things in life,” says Suneet Yadav, President Marketing, Café  Coffee Day, the food and beverage chain that serves two billion coffees annually. 

Suneet says The Square offers a culinary experience with international styled presentations, global cooking practices, and alternate brewing techniques. The staff brings me Smoke-it-up Cold Brew, a scarlet red Mandarin orange cold brew (mysterious, the staff tell me) in a mason jar which comes in a blanket of smoke. It was an Instagram boomerang moment when the staff opened the bell jar and let the smoke engulf me. I expected it to be bitter, but it was mild, sweet and citrusy. Refreshing, much like coffee, but with more spunk.   

“We also serve rare single-origin coffees, international brewing techniques like Siphon, French Press and Pour Over and new and innovative coffee creations like the Espresso Express,” explains Suneet. Considering the 2,750 sq. ft, the 76-seater restaurant has a rack full of coffee merchandise (Espresso makers to coffee beans), the coffee and chai culture is here to stay. We then move on to get a taste of another signature treat — the Pani Puri Twister. Six mini puris placed strategically on the Tequila flavoured (non-alcoholic) water had a zing that the regular jaljeera doesn’t have. With crunchy deep-fried flour balls floating in the flavoured water, this one is what I recommend for chaat lovers.

“We also have wellness beverages and infusions to strike a balance between wellness and indulgence,” he adds. I also ordered a Caprese Caper, a humongous sandwich (enough for two) with basil pesto bocconcini and tomatoes served with baby potatoes and pickled veggies. Priced at `422, it was a meal in itself. The restaurant has a youthful vibe with Zen seating (low seating with low tables) in brown and black upholstery. The coffee workstation with floral wallpaper and the outdoor seating gives it a tropical feel. There is also ‘The Huddle Room’, an eight-seater, full-fledged meeting room with a presentation screen for small groups. An all-day diner with breakfast, lunch and dinner options, The Square is for all those who have grown up on CCD hangouts. 

 Price for two: Rs 1,200
Pics: Sathya Keerthi