KC Roasters

Cost for two: Approximately `500 + taxes

KC by Koinonia is well-known by the brew folks in the city for its charming space in Chuim Village, Khar Danda, and its coffee labs in Foodhall stores. Shannon D’souza, an Australian native, runs the boutique brand with coffee from family estates in the South and a Probat 150 that stands big and proud in the roastery. You can take your pick from the neat selection that includes a Dark Roast Marvahulla Estate, an Ultra Dark Kelagur Washed 2022, a Medium-Dark Roast Santhagiri and fresh decafs, too, when shopping at KC.When coffee-ing at the roastery and tasting room, there’s a panoply of freshly brewed concoctions under House Coffees, Cold Coffees, Cold Brews and Infusions, Affogato Bar, Brew Bar, and Artisanal Drinks. The pain au chocolat goes well with their mocha, and their vegan-friendly iced latte with almond milk is a must. Refresh the mind with the Yuzu Cold Brew and cool off with the creamilicious Pondicherry Vanilla and Dark Chocolate affogatos by KC friends, Bono Boutique Ice-Cream. KC is more a community of coffee-loving entrepreneurs and so you have protein bars by The Whole Truth, The Butternut Co’s healthy butter, Spotted Cow cheese, Naagin’s Hot Sauce, so on and so forth under their shop collective. For that’s what coffee is at the end of the day, a community culture.

Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters

Cost for two: Approximately Rs 500 + taxes

Having a Blue Tokai right behind our office in Kala Ghoda is just what we need, and enjoy. Launched in 2013 as a roastery, with its HQs in Gurgaon, the artisanal brand today has several standalone cafés and roasteries doing workshops and the like. You’re sure to find one next to you. Whichever Blue Tokai you’re at, their South Indian Filter Blend is a treat. With chicory and notes of cocoa, brownie and dark chocolate, this coffee is for those who like it rich. You can ask the barista for what’s brewing today under Batch Brew or go for the mocha with steamed milk and handmade chocolate in flavours of Chilli Cinnamon, Sea Salt, Peppermint or just as is. Cold brews run parallel at Blue Tokai, but it's not so much our cup of coffee when it’s the rainy season!

There’s a vast menu of snacks and sweets here, and sparkling coffee coolers like 100% Coffee with praline, but we’re content with the carrot cake with lemon thyme cream cheese frosting and a Sea Salt Brownie Crinkle Cookie to go with our Americano, most days.

Love & Latte

Cost for two: Approximately `600 + taxes

With nine cafés around the city, this coffee chain has been sprinkling the air with romance over a cup of Joe for a long while now. Freshly roasted beans from farms in Chikmagalur in South India go into the speciality coffee blends and packaged coffee in five different flavours – the Mysore Nuggets Extra Bold for one. But sit and sip in comfort at a Love & Latte with its efficient service and a wide menu that complements. But yes, the coffee. Mint Mocha is a warm delight for the adventurous drinker, and traditional filter coffee hits the spot. When you’re looking at the speciality lattes, the Butter Rum is a must as is the sinful Tiramisu Hot Chocolate for the cocoa lovers. The Ferrero Rocher Milkshake is another popular non-caffeine indulgence.

If you like your coffee cold, cold coffees are a given but when you have the Iced Hazelnut Mocha, you go all out. Love & Latte is more for the one-on-one coffee dos with a slice of their cheesecake but full meals with your gang are also on offer. Pastas, sandwiches, paninis.The Chicken Ham & Cheese and the Achari Paneer Tikka are under Wraps & Rolls that would sate youwell at L&L        

Subko Coffee Roasters

Cost for two: Approximately Rs500 + taxes

If you like it busy and buzzing, Subko is the coffee house for you and for everyone on the subcontinent (their play on words!). That’s the café in an old Goan bungalow in the quaint Chapel Lane in Bandra, where you’ll find a community table and bakery items from the bakehouse, under Chicagoan co-founder, Daniel Trulson, of Bread & Chocolate fame in Tamil Nadu. Rahul Reddy is the other half. The second establishment is the craftery and roastery in Byculla which is swish. There’s a lot of meticulousness in bringing Subko’s coffee culture to Bombayites and Pan-India through close associations with coffee plantations both in the South and North East regions. Arabica and Robusta beans go into the made-to-order brews, their speciality beans and bottled brews. When you have a Mahl Konig EK-43 grinder in house, home-brewing is just a dream. Visit Subko and you’ll see the Bloom Bar brewing speciality coffee manually for you. And do try the Cold Brew Chocolate Hazelnut Tart with the nuts from Turkey, the jowhar flour from across the subcontinent, the cacao nibs and chocolate, and the Subko cold brew concentrate from Kerala.

Third Wave Coffee

Cost for two: Approximately `600 + taxes

Bangalore’s uber popular coffee chain is targeting 30 stores in Bombay in the near future. This year marked their very first at Lokhandwala and a second at Kemps Corner, and coffee lovers are flocking. There’s a hip and chic air to Third Wave though it aims to demystify coffee to the novice and offer a range that suits anyone and everyone. That’s coffee that’s ethically sourced and single-origin. The range of artisan 100% Arabica brews goes with a menu that spans savoury and sweet foodstuffs, from All Day Breakfast Combos to Meal Combos, Quick Bites like bagels and salads, too. The Iced Cappuccino is their bestseller, but the Hot Caramel Macchiato is delightfully strong with vanilla and caramel notes. From their Flavoured Lattes, you might want to nurse the Iced Sea Salt Mocha – after all sea salt goes well with most things. Scan the menu and order in from the Third Wave app if you want to stay in during the monsoons but picture sitting in a cosy café with a community of drinkers and large murals dedicated to the bean and a Multigrain Walnut Tea Cake slice with your AeroPress black. Heaven!