Wake up and smell the coffee

Cold brew passion spritzer

This is a jumbo coffee morning. I need coffee in an IV," said Lorelai Gilmore from Gilmore Girls. As clips from the American comedy-drama television series continue to take over the social media, we head to Stand By Coffee, a newly-opened café that we know Gilmore would approve of. While drinking coffee in an IV wouldn't be possible, the menu is an exhaustive one, offering coffee-infused hot chocolates, espresso-based beverages, a huge variety of iced and cold coffee, hot house specials, cold brew and tonic and coffee-based mocktails.

On a busy Tuesday morning, we step into the café, which despite being barely a month old, is already filled with corporates conducting meetings or working on their projects. There is an al fresco space conjoining the interiors across two floors. While the first floor exudes a formal vibe with wood-finished seating, the second floor is conceptualised, presumably keeping in mind a more relaxed ambiance. The latter has bookshelves, vases with pothos, couches and cushions.

Orange zest mocha. Pics/Devanshi Doshi

We place the order at the counter, pay on the spot and wait for the food to be served to us. It takes a long time (nearly 25 minutes) and a reminder before our first dish - kimchi melt (Rs 360) - is served. We opt for the Hokkaido bread (they also serve sourdough) on the recommendation of the waitstaff. "It is a fluffy, milky bread from [Japan's] Hokkaido which goes best with kimchi. However, if you like your bread to be crispy, we suggest you go for sourdough," they explain. The breads are chunky and soft, and melt on the first bite. It is sandwiched in between is a sweet-and-sour combination of the kimchi tossed in gochujang sauce and topped with fontina cheese. This is served alongside green chutney and sriracha mayo. The sandwich is the perfect blend of flavours from across the globe and gets a thumbs up.

Nutella mocha frappe

Next in line is cantina (Rs 500), a healthy and filling bowl comprising chicken/tofu, tortilla chips and brown rice. It is served with small portions of salsa roja, salsa verde, sour cream, guacamole paste and pico di gallo. We order the version with tofu, which is fresh. This bowl serves two. We recommend you save your tortilla chips and guacamole paste for the end as nibbles while sipping on your coffee/ beverage.

A view of the interiors of the cafe

The Nutella mocha frappe (Rs 280) is a bestseller. With hints of coffee in every sip (it has double shots of espresso in it), this offers a good balance of sweet and bitter. The orange zest mocha (Rs 280) from the hot house specials will not win the sweet-toothed over but will find fans among dark coffee addicts. It consists of 54 per cent dark chocolate (Callebaut), espresso and malta orange zest.

Burnt basque cheesecake

The cold brew passion spritzer (Rs 250) mocktail is the outright winner. It is fruity, refreshing and bitter, all at once. It is also the one that will make it to many Instagram stories owing to its arresting and distinct hues of coffee brown and deep yellow. "The cold brew is brewed in-house for over 24 hours. All coffee beans are sourced from Chikkamagaluru, and are 100 per cent Arabica, while mixers are freshly made in-house," the server informs us. We end the meal on a cheesy note with the burnt Basque cheesecake (Rs 340), which is served with poached figs, berry compote and roselle jam.

Cantina

Stand By Coffee
At: Kakad Estate, Dr RG Thadani Marg, near Poddar Hospital, opposite HP Petrol Pump, Worli.
Time: 8 am to 11 PM
Call: 9137014580

'''' Exceptional, ''' Excellent, '' very Good, ' Good, Average. Stand By Coffee didn't know we were there. The Guide reviews anonymously and pays for meals