Coffee is a morning ritual for many of us. The brew is as personal as it is universal. The choice of beans and the intensity of roasting make each batch of powder unique and when used in a filter, percolator or press, no two brews are the same. Sorry, instant coffee doesn’t figure in this discussion.
The café boom happened in Hyderabad a long time ago with every locality, if not every street, having a representation of a coffee chain. If you’ve had an underwhelming coffee experience some time, blame it on numerous factors — the coffee bean, roasting process, brew time and temperature, and whether the decoction was mixed with the right amount of milk, foam or cream.
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All this might make someone exclaim, ‘all I want is a cup of coffee’, but the people at The Roastery Coffee House will put you at ease, strike a conversation to know your preferences and let you enjoy an artisan coffee experience.
This café is the result of couple Nishant and Neha’s love for coffee and books. Nishant comes with years of experience in coffee brewing. The Roastery sources single estate coffee beans from Mandelkhan Estate, Karnataka.
Their signature style is the cold brew, where Arabica and some Peaberry are left to brew in cold water for 14 hours! This method takes away the acidity, leaving a light brew that can be had any time of the day. The cold brew has been in high demand ever since the Roastery opened.
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The star pour over
The menu outlines the café’s approach to coffee with simple images indicating the amount of espresso, milk/foam/cream and water that goes into each cup. Coffee is served in handmade pottery and we’ve tried different coffees on several occasions, from the spectacular pour over to regular latte and cinnamon latte. Coffee is customised to your preference of amount of cinnamon and a light/medium brew. The pour over is done at the table to give you an idea of the brewing process. A latte is perked up with delightful panda art at the table. The cookies are good and the brownies, fabulous.
Roastery extends its artisan approach to its décor. A cosy house has been remodelled into a café and Neha, Nishant and friends have made it an oasis of green with around 1500 plants. A few coffee plants are there as well though they don’t expect it to yield in Hyderabad’s weather conditions.
Hearty eats
Accompanying the coffee is good food. The portions are generous, so check before placing the order. The mozzarella is fresh and really good on the garlic bread or when served with roasted vegetables for the main course. We liked penne with Alfredo sauce, spinach penne with chicken and spinach corn sandwich over different visits.
While the Roastery has been getting repeat customers since it opened a few weeks ago, it’s also a work in progress. Soon to come is a reading room on the first floor and a mini roaster in the café area where patrons can observe the roasting process at a designated time each day. The café is open from noon and plans are on to serve breakfast soon.
A note: Since the emphasis is on customisation, allow for a few minutes of serving time. Roastery also has coffee powder for purchase.
(The Roastery Coffee House is on Road no.14, Banjara Hills. Ph: 8019661369; Price: ₹700 to ₹800 for two.)