Barista

You see them everywhere, cheery orange, well-lit and offering that much-needed "friendly neighbourhood hangout". But Barista, which began with a bounce, seems to be losing steam. My 18-year-old son and his buddies, who were great fans of the chain, seem to be moving away. But, I am told that Salman Khan is a regular at the Bandstand branch and Ratan Tata at the Cuffe Parade one. The coffees are expensive but refreshingly decent. Choose from the regular Espresso, Cappuccino and Cafe Latte; give the gourmet coffees a miss. They also have freshly-brewed espressos flavoured with the essence of rum, brandy or whisky (Caribbean Calypso, French Fantasy, Scottish Surprise, Irish coffee). Try the Cafe Mocha, Ginger Fizz and Brrrista.The sandwiches are dry, the Chocolate Chip Cookies okayish, and the Chocolate Excess the best, but could do with a lot of fine-tuning. I'd like to point out that the younger lot don't really go there for the food, but to shoot the breeze, sip on coffee, strum the guitar (which may have a string missing), play Scrabble or flip through magazines. Open through the day, it's a great meeting place. Coffee buffs wanting to brew coffee at home can buy a French Press here. Barista's recently-introduced Trump Card will get you every fifth coffee free.