The aroma of freshly-baked pastries welcomes you into the tiny French-inspired cafeteria at Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre at HITEC City. Set to be primarily a destination for high tea, the new menu at Le Café comprises eight desserts, apart from the usual quick bites that would suit all kinds of palates at reasonable prices, like a yummy nut-filled cookie at Rs.70.
Bringing authentic French desserts to the city, Executive Chef Gaurav Malhotra shares a dose of trivia, “There are two kinds of macarons. One that belongs to the Italian cuisine and the other, French macarons that were adapted by France and popularised across the globe.” We are served French Blueberry Macarons, our first dish of the day. As you dig into the macaron, you sense the generous use of butter, which Pastry Chef Manu says, is a customary in desserts from the region. “Almost 45 per cent of our desserts have butter and cream. That’s the case for most desserts from France,” he adds.
Meanwhile, the Classic French Opera arrived, which undoubtedly takes the cake. The pastry has a bold coffee flavour and is layered with ganache and buttercream. “The layers of almond sponge cake are soaked in coffee syrup, which brings the strong taste,” says Chef Manu.
The other desserts in the lineup include the Fresh Lemon Tart, which wins for the perfect mix of sweet with a tangy twist. The Apple Tarte Tatin, an upside-down pastry, is topped with caramelised apple that melts in the mouth at the first bite.
The special menu will be available till July 14, 11 am.
Priced at Rs.150 and upwards.
Details: 66824422