Rating: 4/5
Verdict: A cuppa couldn’t get better than this at any stand-alone café. And to be served impeccable cheesecake as well?

Table for Two: Rs 300- 450
Address: Ground Floor, next to Star Bazaar, Phoenix Market City

With the opening of the first outlet of Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf (CBTL) in the city, coffee lovers in the city can breathe a sigh of relief.

Walk into their outlet at any given time of the day and you’ll be welcomed by their cheerful staff, in chorus. At first you might be taken aback by their sing-song ways, but then again, on some days one needs just that to brighten up the day.

At CBTL, one can choose from a wide range of coffees – hot and ice blended, tea lattes, sandwiches, pizzas and other knick knacks. However we’d suggest you stick to the coffees, tea lattes and a few of their bakery products because these are what they do best.

Although we weren’t impressed with their espresso – lack of definitive crema and thinner consistency, their cappuccino won us over and has had us going back for more, over and over again. If you’ve been in search of the perfect cup of cappuccino, CBTL’s will be it.

Amongst the ice-blended coffees, we tried the Ultimate, Caramel and Cinnamon. Our favourites were the Caramel for its delightful, delicate flavor and the Ultimate for its rich flavor, creamy texture and interesting zest that the chocolate coated ‘espresso’ beans add (it still beats us as to what CBTL means by espresso beans). Although they’ve got the cinnamon right in their Cinnamon ice blended coffee, its flavour can get a little over powering towards the end. If you’re a fan of the spice, go for it.

Their tea lattes are quite delectable too, the English Breakfast and the Tropical Passion being our favourites. The ice-teas however were a disappointment. The Mango Ice Tea tasted just of tea and well, the Berry Ice Tea tasted like cranberry juice.

If you’re looking for something to accompany your drink, ask for their croissants – fairly crisp and light. The sandwiches and ciabatta-base pizzas aren’t too impressive but their Philadelphia Cheesecake is to die for. Although it is priced on the steeper side, it’s worth every paisa. If you’re not a fan of plain cheese cake, ask for the Oreo Cheesecake, however, we strongly recommend the former. Chef Akshay did mention that a fan of one type of the cheesecake usually never liked the other.

With four more outlets due to open across the city, we wish CBTL good luck with brewing the best coffee and delivering, just as promised.

PS: On the way out, help yourself to a copy of their coffee and tea guide.

[Photos by Sahil Khan]