Starbucks, Mumbai – Rs. 250 per person

CUISINE: India’s first Starbucks offers typical coffees (lattes, cappuccinos, espressos) and a snack menu that is completely Indian.
AMBIENCE: Rustic coffee brewery meets Indian palaces of yore. The space is large, but is a kitsch of dark woodwork at the coffee bar and bright, ethnic upholstery at the seating area.
FOOD AND DRINKS: The coffees are nothing special. The ice teas taste like cough syrups. The caffeine-free frappaccinos are just flavoured milk with crushed ice. Also, there is barely any variety in the available drinks. The food is the usual Indian cafè fare: paneer roles, spinach cheese sandwich, chicken paninis, etc, but is surprisingly good.
SERVICE: Expect long lines at the counter. Also, the baristas are intent on forcing you to buy the largest cup of your drink.
PRICE: While it may seem like the standard cafè pricing (Rs. 90 for a small cappuccino), you are actually paying more for the brand and less for the coffee.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: Starbucks is trying really hard to appease local tastes, but it is disappointing that the international Starbucks brand one sees in movies is entirely absent. It is no different from other local cafès that offer the same menu. Horniman Circle, Fort, Mumbai
-Jahnavi Desai

Volume 2 Issue 6