Dining out has become a bit of an ‘entertainment’, with restaurants and cafés catering to gourmands who are on the lookout for a dash of fun and games as well. From pool, foosball and mini-libraries to a range of board games and satellite TV, there’s something for everyone to engage themselves in while tucking into their food. Such cafés virtually turn into a one-stop destination for good food and leisure, whether with family or friends. MetroPlus looks at some places in the city offering food garnished with dollops of fun.
A group of friends chased Jack the Ripper through the streets of 19th century Whitechapel, London. Finally, unlike the real story, they manage to nab him. Jayanth Abraham, one of the founders of Trivandrum Table Top, which celebrates boardgames, noted in a Facebook post that it was a very satisfying experience for the five friends who gathered for an evening of board games at the “very innovative and the game changer café house in Trivandrum, Eve’s Coffee.”
Begun last year, the neatly done-up place in Anayara with its huge assortment of boardgames, books, music instruments and games has become a hangout for millennials and all those who enjoy the thrill of boardgames. Beta Jayakumar says: “The stash of Tintin comics and more, the games and the music are the USP that have made the cafe a popular rendezvous despite its distance from many of the happening places in the city.”
The interiors of Cricket Shack
A piano will also be added to the musical instruments at the outlet to enhance the music quotient.
Kazhakkoottam, the hub of the IT industry is home to many such diners that have games, food and entertainment on their menu.
The newly-opened Terrace by Makkawao and The Cricket Shack have different cuisines and a range of games.
Spread over an entire floor, Terrace by Makkawao is split into two sections because of the lift lobby. Those who head left at Terrace can indulge in a round of carroms, play pool, foosball or enjoy clicking snaps of the pop culture images on the wall. There is a fee to use the gaming facilities. While waiting for your turn at your choice of game, how about tucking into some hearty barbecue fare? The restaurant offers Chinese, Continental and Indian cuisine too. Enjoy your meal while taking in the stunning view of Kazhakkoottam. If you are lucky, you can catch a live concert in progress.
As the name suggests, The Cricket Shack is for those who love cricket. Cricket aficionados will feel completely at home at this eatery dedicated to everything cricket. There are autographed cricket bats and jerseys, rare photographs of cricketers, an image of Sachin made from nails and copper wire...
Grab a book from the bookshelf while you wait for your meal or catch a cricket match on the wide screen. If you can carry a tune or can strum a guitar or can do both, why not perform at the open stage?
Those who choose to step out into the open deck can enjoy the vertical gardens and the ambience. The menu which already has a variety of of Continental dishes.
A board game session at Cachette Café
Cachette Café, which recently opened at the Kumarapuram-Marappalam road, is a droll ‘hideout’ for some chow served with a whole lot of fun and games as bonus. (In fact, ‘cachette’ in French means ‘hideout’).
With temperate yellow lighting and a theme of black-and-white with a tinge of coffee-brown, the ambience is pretty soothing, with rows of indoor plants adorning the space above the café’s road-facing glass panels.
For starters, there’s Netflix for you to catch your favourite series. For those on a ‘digital detox’, a “mini library” boasting some best-sellers lined up on the cube shelves comes to the rescue. But, the highlight is the rage of table-top games for players of all ages. With the likes of Scrabble, Monopoly, Jenga, Chess, Snakes and Ladders, Ludo, Connect 4, Uno and the ubiquitous Rubik’s Cube up for grabs, you are spoilt for choice.
Peri Shock Breast at Terrace By Makkawao
The cherry on the top, perhaps, is the pool table, that can be availed of for a charge on an hourly basis at the café that specialises in Continental cuisine, perhaps, the pick of the menu being steaks and chicken parmigiana.
About the concept and décor, Bejoy Jayakumar, who opened Cachette, open from 9 am – 11 pm, with his friends Rahul VV, Mohith MS and Rinu Sasidharan, says: “The idea was inspired by our travels abroad where we have seen a lot of cafés blending food and fun. Also, we felt board games are getting more popular among the city dwellers now.” So, on board?
