Breathing Room: Another Fine Day Cafe, Gurgaon

After two years of trying to find a corner to ourselves in Gurgaon where our books or our thoughts counted as legitimate company, we couldn’t be happier to land at the forgiving doors and open arms of Another Fine Day – Reading Room and Café.

For those of us who prefer to fly solo from time to time, it isn’t easy. Cars driving too close for comfort, a balcony looking straight into your balcony, schedules more cramped than cupboards, and having to explain that ‘alone’ does not mean ‘lonely’ can get trying.

An 8am – 10pm destination away from the malls and the crowds, this cosy reading room and café feels like a {much nicer} extension of our living room, with the added advantage of perfect food and drink to choose from, as you flick to the next chapter of your book or conversation.

That’s why, when we walked past the glass-paned entrance into the exposed red brick space of Another Fine Day cafe, we settled in very happily at one of the tables. Artificial flowers never looked better – if anything, they are a testament to the never-judge attitude one can expect from a place that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and is bold enough for pretty displays of plastic flora.

That being said, the food is faultless. Along with the 8am opening time and the first page of the menu, we’re loving the dedication to breakfast {especially the yoghurt, blueberry, granola goodness in a jar}. The French toast came perfectly flavoured with cinnamon and magically, not too eggy. We will have to honestly report here that we did not get the maple syrup that the menu promised – we got chocolate sauce instead! If you’ve ever played the slot machines and know the deafening sound of winning, you’ll know how we felt.

The all-day menu offers soups, salads, sandwiches and pasta, along with hot and cold mezze, plus the usual suspects within the fried goodies category, like calamari rings and beer battered fish. The smoothies were smooth – we can’t complain. The menu ensures that regardless of what time you show up at Another Fine Day, you’ll have something hour-appropriate to eat.

We liked the masala chai that came in a tin kettle, complete with cutting chai glasses, as well as the special blend Americano, made with 80 per cent Illy beans and 20 per cent south Indian spice roasts.

We more than liked the rare flexibility of being able to switch to a glass of beer or wine when it’s well past coffee time, but you’re at that critical point in your reading or friendly chat where it simply cannot be abandoned and you must carry on.

The humble bookshelf in the corner works as a library on an honour system – you can borrow something to read there and finish at home, as long as you intend to return it. We know they’re expecting us to drop in more than once. Catch a book reading from time to time, make a date to see a friend, or come alone in peace. You’re certain to leave having had another fine day.