Sweet Brew Cafe is the friendly neighbourhood eatery Salt Lake has been craving for

Every foodie who has ever cribbed about the lack of budget-friendly continental eateries in Salt Lake needs Sweet Brew cafe on their radar STAT. The quaint and airy cafe-cum-restaurant has an indulgent set-up which gives you free rein to choose how you want to use the space. You can drop in for a mid-week brunch, or host an intimate gathering of friends, or go for some me-time with a healthy bowl of chipotle. Tucked away at a lane opposite the Sector 3 Big Bazaar, Sweet Brew Cafe is quite removed from the usual Salt Lake chaos and traffic. “We wanted a versatile space which could be a cafe as well as have some important aspects of a diner, as we have worked hard on the menu and you'll find some choicest Italian and European specialities, as well as a pretty wide range of Asian, Mexican and American delicacies,” Charu Kothari, of Sweet Brew Cafe, tells us.

We dropped by on a cloudy afternoon to get a feel of the space and discovered that the joint was conveniently fragmented into two areas, an easy, friendly cafe format and a lounge-style area where you could get some quite downtime with your friends. “The idea behind Sweet Brew was to offer a lot at easy and economical rates and more for less. And we have so many young people coming in, who want to try out newer options or just want an unhurried lunch, this should be perfect for them,” Kothari adds. We were a little taken aback with the exceptionally diverse menu card, or should we say cards, as there are more than one. There is one for Asian, one for Continental, and also one for hookah - oh, did we mention Sweet Brew Cafe also offers a number of options for hookah.

We chose to sit in the inner dining area, which could also double up as a co-working space as it’s calm and unassuming and the cheap iced tea obviously helps. So remember that for your next work-from-home day. We started off with a plate of Tuscany Roasted potatoes, which is traditionally made with chunky diced potatoes, olive oil, wine and used as an accompaniment; Sweet Brew’s version prepares it as an appetizer, so expect crunchy, fried potato wedges which you can pair with a white sauce pasta. We also tried their Fish and Chips and found it to be simple, flavourful and very light.

For our entree, we picked a Double Fat Pork Chop, which features a generous cut of pork cooked in an amazingly spiced auburn gravy; this entree features a homemade seasoning and is designed for the benefit of pork lovers. It only costs Rs 325, which is quite a steal and is good for two people. You can pair it with some Panzanella Bread Salad, or go a little unconventional like we did, and just go with the good ol’ garlic bread. Sweet Brew Cafe also offers a stunning range of pasta, from Penne, Carbonara to Aglio Olio, along with other familiar Mediterranean numbers like Stroganoff, Au Gratin, Cannelloni, and much more. Price for two: Rs 800