This Kochi-based eatery serves continental fare prepared with organic produce 

Operating out of a 150-year-old building at Ridsdale Street, Farmer’s Café  exudes a laid-back ambience coupled with delicious recipes.
Farmers_Cafe
Farmers_Cafe

At a time when Kochi barely knew aboutthe ‘deli culture’, Mattancherry-based Solar Cafe had already earned its place in Lonely Planet’s pages. From vegan recipes to freshly sourced produce from local farms, the current of USP of Kochi’s favourite hangouts can be traced back to this eatery which opened in the early 2000s. One of the region’s best-kept secrets, the cafe closed down back in 2014 as its co-founder Shihab Chappu left for Munnar to tend to his organic farming project, Kanthallur-based Lunar Garden. Since then, Umer Farooq, Shihab’s partner, has been in search of finding ways to resurrect their eatery, which adheres to the slow food philosophy. “Farmer’s Café is definitely inspired by the tried-and-tested recipes of Solar,” begins Umer, who launched the restaurant last month. The 120-cover art café  is also an exhibition space which holds regular events curated by Shihab,an art enthusiast. 

Heritage bound
Operating out of a 150-year-old building at Ridsdale Street—which used to house The Imperial Bank of India in the 1950s—Farmer’s Café  exudes a laid-back ambience coupled with delicious recipes. Prepared with unadulterated vegetables sourced from Lunar Garden and city-based Farming Colours, crunchy green salads are one of the highlights here. As we start our meal at the spot with a Garden Green Farmers  signature salad—featuring dill, parsley. chive and lettuce, dressed with lemon zest and extra virgin olive oil—Umer recommends a tropical pineapple shake made with cold-pressed coconut milk to go with it.“We focus on simple yet wholesome recipes here. Customisation options are also available in segments such as rolls,” shares the Kochi-based entrepreneur.  

Balancing act
Low on spices and added flavours, the main course options at Farmer’s Café are perfect for those who like their food on the mild side. Apart from the hummus-filled flatbread rolls, prawn and egg variants of their open-faced sandwiches (served with tartar sauce on the side) are the must-haves here. Though the bakery section, showcasing delicacies including chocolate pastries, is tempting, we decided to end our meal with a cheesecake. “We will be adding a selection of dinner and lunch specials to our list within the next couple of weeks,” adds Umer, as we take leave. 

Meal for two from `400 onwards. 
At Ridsdale Street, FortKochi

 

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