Tucked into a by lane of New Colony in Chromepet, our visit to this cosy café started off all cinnamon flavoured and sticky! Sheeba, who owns the quaint place along with her husband Colin Tilsley, had just put out a tray of still-warm cinnamon rolls that begged for our attention. As we dug into the bread, it was delicately spiced, moist and sweet like French toast and interspersed with juicy raisins. “Those are called the Ugly Cinnamon Buns,” informed Sheeba with a laugh. That set the tone for our exploration into the menu at this 15-seater — all homely, warm and cheerful!
Started last December, this is the couple’s passion project. “I started baking at the age of 33. It started with frosting cakes for my children’s birthdays and eventually, in pursuit of quality ingredients — I got into baking,” says Sheeba, explaining the name of the café and adding that most of the recipes here were from within their families. The counter is resplendent with pretty cupcakes, Apple Crumble, Cheesecake and other confectionery, while the daily menu displayed on the wall confirmed an All Day English Breakfast, along with pasta and other café staples. Most of the dishes were family recipes, we were told.
For dinner, we tried the Spaghetti Bolognese and the Chicken Pesto Pasta. The latter was wholesome and the fresh pesto sauce was a delight, while the former was delicious and we are not surprised that it is their fastest moving item on the menu. We were told that the bolognese sauce recipe was passed on to Colin from his mentor’s wife when he was a young student in Australia many years ago, and that it has been a family favourite since then.
For dessert, the Banoffee Pie was sweet and the toffee part is definitely addictive. Meanwhile, the lemon tart was memorable, made from lemandarins (a hybrid between Mandarin orange and Citron) from their own garden; the topping was tangy and scrumptious. “We try to use organic produce whenever possible,” says Sheeba.
Meal for two at INR 900. 11 am to 8 pm.
Sundays 2 pm to 9 pm. Closed on Tuesdays.