Delectable Mediterranean and Italian eats are unmissable at this new earthy café in Hyderabad

Long overdue catch-ups seem to be the overarching theme of adult life, with old friends from college who’ve gone separate routes, or an old colleague we miss dearly. When the stars align to make way for the awaited coffee date, one needs a picture-perfect location to dish out all of life’s details and gossip. 

This week, we found just the spot to do this, at Kisscoff Café in Jubilee Hills. The new spot on the block seems to be a popular choice among friends already, as we walked into a fully packed space on an early evening. 

The supremely rustic space done up with wooden accents and limestone flooring is spread across three floors, with cosy seating nooks, each different from the other. For a quick coffee run, the ground floor space with the coffee bar at the entrance is ideal, while the first floor is great for dates in a plush setting, complete with comfortable couch seating. 

Summers bring in a craving to be outdoors, and we brought ourselves to the rooftop space done up with similar, earthy tones, with canopies, string lights and cosy table lamps making the rustic space feel habitable. 

We started our cafê date with the Laal maas with Saffron hummus. Topped with crisps, a side of pickled vegetables, salad and pita bread, the winning element of the dish was sprinkles of birista, offering a surprising twist to the Mediterranean favourite. For those who love their Mediterranean food but miss that local touch of spice, the Laal maas, slow-cooked to perfection offers a spicy mix of flavours to go with the creamy hummus. 

The Blueberry almond butter toast is worth trying for folks whose standard order at a café is some variety of toast to go with their coffee. The Sourdough toast topped with a variety of seeds and rolled oats was a mildly sweet, healthy option from the menu. 

From the pastas, we called for the Pumpkin fettuccine, with chunky roasted vegetables tossed in a deliciously velvety sauce bursting with warm flavours. While pumpkin is typically associated with the colder months, the light pasta dish was a great pick even for the summer. 

The Pulled lamb burger is a must-try for those who love their red meat. The pillow-soft buns baked in-house literally melted in our fingers, while the peppery meat filling had a mix of bold flavours bordering on tangy. 

Desserts were simple classics, and we picked the Banana bread. Topped with walnuts and an additional drizzle of honey, the dessert was just what the endless conversation called for. 

INR 2000 for two, at Film Nagar