There’s something about music that can really lift a place from an ordinary neighborhood coffee break spot to a place where inspiration hits. We stopped by Cuppa Joe in desperate need of a caffeine/sugar hit and ended up staying a couple of hours working and letting the early 2000’s music make us feel young and free again.
Cuppa Joe is competing with a number of larger coffee chains in its immediate vicinity but they’re making the right moves to build a loyal customer base. A bright and cozy little shop with a menu that is interesting and plentiful for such a tiny place, the all day breakfast alone earns it many points from us. However standard the breakfast fare may sound, nothing beats an egg, sausage and hashbrown breakfast whenever you want it.
This little coffee shop has a decidedly American bias with a few luscious, generously proportioned cakes on display and some giant cookies by the cash register. Even their smallest drink size is larger than most other chains. Although we didn’t get around to sampling the thick slices of red velvet cake or the chocolate tarts, we ordered an iced café mocha and since this is the first ever place in Mumbai serving something called butter beer, we had to give it a shot. The iced cafe mocha went down a treat in this heat, a little stronger than most places and definitely not as sugary sweet as some. The butter beer, well, it’s a novelty drink and tastes a lot like a fizzy butterscotch lemonade. If that sounds good, you should definitely try it.
The barista/server/cashier at Cuppa Joe when we got here on a Friday morning was fantastic, friendly, smart and a definite reason to come back. He’s the type of guy that you feel sure will remember your order in a couple of weeks and will know exactly what you need. We’ll definitely be coming back here for the space, the coffee, the music and the wi-fi.
They have a branch coming soon at Pali Naka which we hear is going to be an 80-seater. The carter road branch seats about 15-20 and will probably be my branch of choice.
They are a cash only shop so far. Our drinks for 2 with hash browns and sausages set us back Rs.405.
Cuppa Joe
Gagangiri Apartments, Near Yogurtbay, Off Carter Road, Bandra (West)
+91 22 2649 4040
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