Elevate your evening tea ritual with the Monsoon Hi-Tea menu at this sprawling bar in Hyderabad

Monsoon always leaves folks with divided opinions. While some enjoy the heavenly petrichor, gushing winds and the sweetness of the rains, others find the season irksome, thanks to incessant traffic jams and waterlogged roads.

No matter where you lie on this debate, almost everyone can agree that one of the best parts of the season is the comfort food it offers. Corn on cob roasting on an open flame, hot sips of tea warming you up and fried snacks galore - what’s not to like?

The recently launched Monsoon Hi-Tea offers a selection of coffee, tea and mocktails alongside popular local snacks to make your evening tea an elevated ritual

This week, we rushed to The Sicca Bar at The Park Hyderabad to enjoy the August rains coupled with some comfort food.

The spot is laidback, with sprawling outdoor seating, open to the cloudy skies. The calmness of the space enveloped us immediately, and we snuggled into a cosy table indoors, overlooking the colourful bar. The Hi-Tea offerings are customisable, with a choice of beverage and snack, rounding it up with a couple of desserts.

We called for a hot cup of Cardamom tea, with Onion pakoras first. The platter looked luxurious, complete with tea served in an elegant tea pot with butter cookies on the side. We took a bite of the onion pakoras, and any irritation reserved for the season dissipated instantly. The tea packed in a punch, with flavours of cardamom coming through distinctly.

The Mirchi bajji sprinkled with an addictive spice mix didn’t disappoint. Opt for the mixed platter, and you can nibble on a variety of snacks, including the iconic Punugulu and Potato bajji with your evening chai. Coffee lovers are in for a treat too, with the space serving a variety of hot and cold coffees including cold brews.

We followed our savoury treats with the desserts. The Brownie was dense, topped with decadent thick chocolate ganache. We also got to try the Irani chai créme brûlée at the bar. With subtle hints of Irani chai in the custard, the mildly sweetened dessert was a hit at our table.

Meal for two: `1,000++. 3 pm to 7 pm. At Somajiguda.