If you love coffee, and we know you do, then chances are you've had Araku's Signature or Microclimate blends. But we are not here to tell you about the blends, but rather their first-ever cafe in India. You read that right. After their flagship outlet in Paris, this is the second cafe and the first one in India and boy are we pumped that it's in Bangalore. And that too in one of the most happening streets in Bangalore, 12th Main Indiranagar. A massive two-storied cafe, which we walked past a couple of times during their final days before opening, you love this all-white, chic space with a lot of minimal aesthetic. Oh and those golden accents and the amount of natural light that comes in. It's beautiful. Oh, and we spotted some Mianizi lighting too.
The ground floor has three coffee sections -- a Modbar, touted to be India's first, a Sensory Bar, where you can try our Araku's blends in various brewing methods to enjoy the bean to cup experience, and the Trad Bar, which is your traditional coffee station. There's a bookstore that stocks upon some interesting books in various genres -- fiction to cookbooks and in between. You can peek into the kitchen to see the specials being made while you are sitting. Up the staircase, you'll find the roasting station, the training station, and outside seating as well as a conference room which can be booked out for meetings. If Rohan the Roaster is there on the second floor, ask him to take you through Araku's coffee journey. You can find out about the coffee academy too while you are it.
The menu is a timed menu -- meaning you have an all-day section along with breakfast, lunch, and dinner with last orders for breakfast coming closing at 11 am. While we paired out Cafe La'Orange, a cold brew perfect for the weather, with an interesting cookie -- it had sundried tomatoes in it, we were in two minds about ordering Pomelo Salad only because we weren't hungry. The Charred Egg Plant Dolma caught our eye. For next time.