We were eager to check out Last House Coffee: By The Lake for the gorgeous view of the Durgam Cheruvu Lake. The chic space reminded us of a vibrant beach home, complete with a terracotta roof at the entrance, with an outdoor space on the ground floor ideal for big groups and designed for people to meet, chill, and indulge in never-ending conversations! We also spotted a huge table made from a single tree's bark, which we though was super cool and unique.
The indoor space is made to look like a living room, with a comfy couch, complete with an earthy jute rug and dark wooden chairs. Walking in, you're greeted with calming Bossa Nova music, however the highlight of the cafe's is their upper floor seating that gives you a beautiful view of the Durgam Cheruvu Lake, and the newly constructed bridge.
We spotted milk coffees, coffee blends, and teas on their menu out of which we tried the Cafe Frappe and Sea Salted Caramel Popcorn Frappe to help us cool down. If you like your coffee sweet, order the Salted Caramel Popcorn Frappe which also happens to be the cafe's bestseller. While they don't currently have a full-fledged food menu, they do have some desserts to go with your coffee. We'd recommend the Cinnamon Roll if you're looking for a comforting, decadent dessert. However the y also have other treats like spotted cookies, tarts, and slices of cake at the coffee station.
While we walked into Last House Coffee for the view and the vibe, we also learned a lot about coffee and the cafe's mission. Last House Coffee happens to be the first crop-to-cup cafe in India that strictly serves Robusta coffee. The reason being that the crop is said to be resilient, and more ideal for the environment than Arabica. Robusta is grown by several farmers in India, but is misconstrued as inferior compared to Arabica. Hence the founder, Naina Polavarapu has taken it upon herself to introduce Robusta based coffees to tackle this misconception.
As part of their 'Free Robusta' mission, the Cafe uses Robusta beans grown in their estate in Kadumane, a quaint village in the Western Ghats. While also retailing other Robusta coffees from estates across India. We love that they feature this information at their coffee station, where you can take a look at where the beans have been grown, the estate, and even the roaster's name! All proceeds from the cafe go towards their mission to establish Robusta as a sustainable, adaptable crop that can help fight climate change while meeting the coffee demands of the market.
