Cafes and restobars are the two formats that have become most popular during the post-Corona revival in Hyderabad. Every day at least one outlet of either format is starting up in the city. Surprisingly to me, even the meh ones are having beginner's luck, as there is a boom in eating out. I am a little apprehensive about the future though and expecting a shakeout in the times to come.
Among the many cafes I visited, I will talk about three that are different, especially in the quality and variety of food offered by them. They have not followed the standard practice of aping the menu of the popular neighbor, instead have worked hard on their dishes. Though I am not a person who gives a lot of weightage to ambience, all three outlets of my choices have very good vibes.
Churrolto, known as you can guess for their Churros, is no stranger to the food lovers in the city. Starting as a small “bandi”, they now have three restaurants in Filmnagar, Banjara Hills, and Madhapur, boasting close to 400 covers. Their central kitchen is in Tolichowki. is huge with modern equipment and very meticulously planned for the rapid expansion of the brand both in the dine-in and delivery segments.
The café chain has recently revamped its menu. I was part of two separate tastings here and can vouch for the quality of their food. For me, the highlights were their breads, a lot of research has gone into them. The Japanese-style milk bread (they call it Kyoto bread) is an ideal component for their sandwiches - Madras Curried Chicken and American Cheese Sandwich. Another innovation Cloudy Pav was the perfect foil to 17th century Kheema as well as Paneer Akhuri. But my top pick here is something called Feather Bread which they serve with their main courses like Dhaka Lamb and Saival Tofu Thai Curry.
Then they had bread bowls accompanied by Veg Stew, Massaman Prawn Curry, and Curried Lamb among the choices.
The thinnest-crust rectangular pizzas that they have introduced are claimed to be the thinnest version in the world. These are called Paper Thin Pizzas, we tried the Spicy Chicken and Barbeque Paneer Pizza versions.
As far as desserts are concerned, they have what they call a Boutique range. The Lite Brownie Bytes use Stevia, a sugar substitute that does not spike your sugar level. The Biscoff Cheesecake was pretty good too. And finally, loved their open space cafe opposite GVK Mall in Banjara Hills, an ideal place to drop in before or after a movie there.
Brews & Blends started as a beverage brand and extended into the cafe business with its first outlet at T-Hub last year. Now the second outlet has just been started in Whitefield. A 50-cover place, it serves a wide range of exotic teas and coffees. It helps that the owner Vidya is a tea sommelier as she can curate the beverage menu very adeptly. She has researched the tea concoctions for a few years before curating the beverage menu.
Their signature is the Make Your Own Blend experience where you can choose your tea base (Green Tea, Black tea, etc.) and add flowers, aromatics, and condiments. The cold brews are interesting too, I especially liked Sun Riser, a cold brew with mango. Coffee XXX has three small portions of different fruit-based coffees.
The food is not to be left behind, with a large menu designed to keep in mind the pairing with the beverages. The humongous Caesar Salad with chicken, egg, and pork is a meal by itself. The Mascarpone Stuffed French Toast served with maple syrup and vanilla ice cream is another dish I can recommend wholeheartedly.
Lamb Cigars, Spaghetti Carbonara with pork, Tom Kha Broth, as well as vegetarian and non-vegetarian pizza, are some more noteworthy ideas to try out here. Apart from these, we tried a whole range of dishes including pizzas and pasta, Mushroom Arancini, Loaded Nachos, and Broccoli Soup.
Brews & Blends is open early with a full-fledged breakfast menu to boot. The interior is nice with a special platform where musical or cultural soirees are held.
The third café that I like is Enchante Café & Confectionary, a cafe tucked inside Road No 81 in Filmnagar. A cute place with cozy indoor and outdoor seating, the cafe has been quite well-known, especially for its confectionery.
Recently, the café has launched a new menu with diverse dishes. The menu has a fine balance of all kinds of dishes ranging from European to Middle Eastern. The dish of the day for me was the Broccoli and Almond Soup, a thick but smooth concoction that appealed to my palate. Other items like Rosemary Chicken Crostini, Wings of Fire, and Southern Fried Chicken Burger impressed me too. It was a pleasure to meet Chef Upender whom I knew from his earlier assignments.
The Lebanese Platter with a range of dips is something that will work out very well with Falafel. Olive and Sundried Tomato Bruschetta is another dish that impressed me.
The desserts were so good that even a diabetic like me could not resist going for a second spoonful of some of them. Tres Leches, Manhattan Pastry, White Chocolate Berry Log, and Biscoff Cheesecake are a few names that I can safely recommend.
A special note on the presentation of dishes, a lot of effort has gone into giving the dishes a ravishing look. A huge shout out to the bakery staff here, they have really done a very fine job. You can also visit their counter at the outdoor area and pick up the desserts that appeal to you.