Consumed By Coffee– A Round Up Of My Top 3 Personal Favorites

When your standard morning fix or mid-day pick me up simply falls short of satiating your coffee cravings – you know it's time to break hibernation mode and get out from under the covers. Yes, throw those bunny slippers off and ….well waddle over to these G town specials and get-a-sippin’!

Melt House, 32nd Milestone, Gurgaon

This place won my heart over most recently with its Adorable British tea house-like interiors and open-air tables for a green outdoor escape. Ambiance aside, park yourself here for the great coffee and…..wait for it…..grilled cheese! Deeply satisfying, nostalgic, and not to mention, an amped-up version of a childhood favorite, the Peri-Peri Grilled Cheese is definitely a winner. Cheeses and carbs apart let's get down to brass tacks here…..the coffee! always freshly ground and brewed they spare no concession on quality when it comes to their brewing methods here. the result- a completely non-acidic, nutty, aromatic, and easy to throwback coffee.

Personal favorites here: Pleasantly sweet Vietnamese Cold Coffee, piping hot Fudgy Mocha, and the Salted Caramel Mocha Frappe (this one's a doozy).

A word of advice: DO NOT add sugar to any coffee you might order here, it takes away from the intended aroma and roasted flavor!

Cost for two: ₹1200

Greenr, 32nd Milestone, Gurgaon

With welcoming bookshelves, cozy interiors, and an overall neo-industrial feel to it, Greenr is not just about eating green but thinking and living it too. And considering the way the world is evolving, they seem to have the concept of clean living signed, sealed, and delivered. The menu of course, as implied by the cafe's name, is full of green treats befitting various palates and then some. (lactose intolerant, gluten-free, slow food patrons, purely vegan, or just vegetarians can rejoice now). However, the coffee here has very few contenders to quality, flavor, and robustness.

Personal favorites: umm….tough one! ‘The House Cold Coffee’ with a shot of Espresso, A2 Milk & Jaggery appeals most to those with a sweet tooth. For those looking for dairy-free options, try the light citrussy – for lack of a more descriptive word ‘Citrus Martini’. But in heart of hearts, the one weighing in like an undefeated champ is the ‘Iced Mocha’- what makes it so special and worth of this title; well… the excessive amount of luscious dark, bitter, earthy, melted Callebaut. Yep fell for this one hard.

A word of advice: Order one of their wafer-thin pizzas with your coffee…I know sounds unusual but thank me later. And if you do take this advice seriously order the ‘Hawaiian Pizza’ just to lock it in….again you may thank me later.

Cost for two: ₹1000

Paul, Ambience Mall, Gurgaon

Now if you look it up online ‘Hot Chocolate’ and freshly baked ‘Croissants’ are all the rage, and rightfully so….But! I have a slightly different proposition/ recommendation for you. Now the fact is that they do great coffee here and have an abundant food menu with the works in European cuisine. Crowd favorites like the pastas, pizzas, burgers, tarts, steaks, and sauces are all marvelous and served in excessive portions warranting many blushes when the food reaches your table.

But…the ultimate combination I want to put forth here is their Coffee coupled with the Quiche Lorraine (a personal favorite indeedy weedy). The delightfully chocolaty yet light ‘Iced Mocha’ here has the capability of snapping you out of an array of frowny face moods (and I have many) and if your looking for something hot to drink do try the ‘Cafe Medici’ also slightly chocolaty and served with a dash of cinnamon – this tiny addition makes all the difference here! (DO NOT add sugar...if you do I’ll know) all this loveliness accompanied with the perfect quiche filled with velvety egg custard punctuated generously with bacon, onions and Emmaenthal cheese makes for an all-time favorite pick me up.

Cost for two: ₹1000

To read more interesting features on good food, books and coffee from Reeth Naomi Puri, visit Kouldkettle.wordpress.com