KBR National Park has been a haven for early risers as well as those who love an evening stroll. There, a new al fresco coffee shop named Casa De Latte, became our stopover on a breezy spring evening for some chilled beverages and quick bites. The new eatery opens at 6 in the morning — great for early birds jogging in the KBR vicinity and continues till 1 in the night. During our visit, we spoke to its co-founder Hafeez Ali about the outlet’s specialties. “We started the café with the vision of serving different variants of lattes and frappes apart from the regular coffee menu. We wanted to bring a new caffeine product for the city that satiates its caffeine needs with rich taste.”
We couldn’t wait to sip its offerings and entered the cafe’s rustic outdoor seating. It entranced us with dim lit honeyed fairy lighting that added warmth to the cool evening air and accented the umbrella canopied benches. We went further inside the cozy quadrate coffee shop to check their menu and learnt that Pistachio Latte is their top selling coffee. Soon a cubical tray containing icy Pistachio, Red Velvet and Saffron Latte arrived at our table.
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The Red Velvet flavour amazed us with its mildly creamy and tarty taste lent by a concoction of cream and milk. We also liked the floral and slightly more saccharin Saffron Latte but it was the Pistachio flavour that became a must-have for its earthy, woody and piney notes. While we had a delightful tasting with these one-of-a-kind flavours, those who swear by their usual lattes can go for options like Spanish and Cinnamon Latte. Sipping on, we were also treated to their savoury snacks to our heart’s content. We bite into their Multigrain Bagel with Chickens and Cheese. The whole grain encrusted soft bread had shredded chicken, cabbage and cheese filling that made for a ravenous bite.
On cue, came the Cheese Chicken Croissant. To our surprise, it was not the usual Austrian viennoiserie pastry with sugar coated caramel butter. It was savoury and filled with molten cheese, piquant tandoori paste, juicy shredded lettuce and chicken that added a burst of tangy and spicy flavours! This Indian American reimagining of a flaky French pastry was a unique addition to the café’s eats. If you’re heading to the café in summers, go for their fruity Blueberry and Passion Fruit Frappe for a cool unwinding session. In the pipeline are more candied varieties like Strawberry and Cranberry Frappe.
Rs.1,600 for two. At Banjara Hills.
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