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India - Findmecoffee254 - Coffee Highlights

  • simondixon67
  • 7 days ago
  • 4 min read

Findmecoffee254 were a little quiet in October as we travelled to India for a couple of weeks. Here are the highlights and coffee hidden gems we found to help you find great coffee if you head to this great country.


Mumbai: We started the trip in Mumbai and luckily for us there were a number of coffee shops within a short walk from the Diplomat Hotel, Apollo Bandar.


1 - Starbucks, Taj Palace - https://maps.app.goo.gl/5pazKPfU7ZUkY7ih9 - Usual Starbucks stuff in a cool building and good ambience. There are around 9 Starbucks in Mumbai at the time of visiting so if you want to play it safe then this is a good option. We also tried the one on Veer Nariman Road which has a very cool and unique interior.



2 - Kuckeliku Breakfast House - Another one that is hard to find, upstairs down a small shopping road in the Colaba area of Mumbai



They take breakfast seriously and don't beleive it should be limited to breakfast time. Lovely ambience and well designed space is matched by amazing food plus, of course, great coffee.


3 - Barako Coffee (Barako Bubble and Tea Coffee Chain) - https://barako.in/ - Lastly for this area is our Mumbai favourite for both coffee quality and food Barako. Tucked away down a side alley, it is easy to miss, indeed, we did for a couple of days even. When we finally found it, we became regulars for their flat whites and Ramen Food.



4 - Araku Coffee, Mandlik Road - https://www.arakucoffee.in/


Araku we only visited on the last day in Mumbai. Located in the heart of Colaba it is a cafe rooted in regenerative agriculture. They have a well designed community driven place, making the most of the old town building it is in, some great window seats where you can watch the world go by, high ceilings.

They have a modbar for artisanal brews, an open kitchen and a cozy mezzanine which also houses a bakery.




5 - Mag Street Cafe:


Nestling between Araku and Barako on the same street is Mag Street Cafe in addition to great coffee, these guys are bakers too. Escape the bustle and relax with a tantalizing cake or pastry to accompany your chosen brew.




We did wander a little further from the hotel, despite being spoilt with a collection of coffee shops near the hotel. Other highlights included:


These guys take their coffee seriously, you can pick from one of 4 beans and all the usual milk options. They cater for all teastes and brewing methods plus, a full range of cold coffee options too.




7 - Starbucks, Veer Nariman Road:


This one is a Starbucks Reserve store and located in the Elphistone Building Veer-Nariman Road in Fort Mumbai. It is the first ever Starbucks Reserve soter in India.

These stores represent a higher end experience. You can see from the photos that it is pretty unique!




Nashik:

After 3 nights in Mumbai we took a late afternoon train 2.5 hours north east of Mumbai through the hills to Nashik. Nashik is an ancient holy city in Maharashtra, western India. It is known for its links to the "Ramayana" epic poem. The Godavari River passes through the town. The old town area is well worth a stroll through the narrow streets and lovely old buildings etc.


While there we stayed at the lovely Parekh Farm 11km from Nashik, a beautiful tranquil place run by Sumit and Anjali who also designed the farm and grounds. Wonderful home cooked food too. We definitely added a few pounds whilst here. Well recommended!




The coffee highlight of Nashik and the whole trip, was Ground Zero.


"Ground Zero is focused on improving lives through sustainable farming and fair trade practices between coffee farmers and coffee consumers." They are a micro roaster and constantly trying out new beans from india and internationally, constantly experimenting and exploring the coffee landscape to be able to share that joy with us. No cafe, they just want to focus on great roasting. Owner Dhiraj Agrawal is super passionate about coffee and we had an lovely hour with him sharing coffee stories and, of course, tasting great coffee. Watching Dhiraj preparing coffee, measuring the water, weighing the beans, adjusting the grind, checking the temperature, timing, etc. made me realise i need to up my game - a lot!! Poetry in coffee making!

@groundzerocoffeeroasters



Palolem, Goa


Next was a short flight from Nashik to Goa and then a taxi to Palolem, a small coastal resort in the far south of Goa. 3 nights here relaxing and also taking a scooter into the hills.


Coffee highlight was Nireas - Healthy Haven


Nireas Healthy Haven



Mangalore and the hills around


For Mangalore and while riding in the hills around that area, we enjoyed the local "Latte" a strong filter coffee (espresso strength) with warm milk poured in from a high level to create a "flat white" froth........ great value and good taste - 25 rupees (circa 20KES!!)


Sampling the various street coffee styles.


We also had a hearty breakfast of dosa and coffee at Hotel Taj Mahal. Well worth a visit to start your day. Very local clientele and always busy which is testament to the simple but very tasty food - https://maps.app.goo.gl/v1QrRGGkX3mSpez99

Taj is a legend for those that know having served great food to generations since 1928.



India was a revelation. This was my first trip there an i had the usual stereotype image of dense populations, crowded cities, crazy traffic and getting a stomach issue. My experience could not have been further from that. Yes, apart from Mumbai, we were in smaller places, but the stomach behaved, traffic was mostly similar to my home city, Nairobi. The people are lovely and super helpful and warm. The food, well if you are on a diet, forget it! Lovely, experience and I will definately be back. Thanks to all who made it a great experience, especially Preetham my good friend who kindly asked me to accompany him on this trip home to visit his family and friends.

 
 
 

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