Ambience
As you walk in, the first thing that seizes your attention is the gorgeous ambience they've got here. It's a haven of vintage loveliness, with a dash of hipster-vibe.
The brick walls decorated with green vines, plants of various sorts and rustic wood floors, it's like you're travelling through a portal to a different world hidden away in the bustling city of Colombo Fort. If you want to shut yourself from the world for a minute and take a break from all the dilemma, this is a superb choice for that. Calm and peaceful, it's also one of the most Instagrammable cafes we've seen in town.
Food
The food menu at Kaffeine is an assortment of many things – all-day breakfast, a variety of tacos, momos, and Italian treats like pasta and penne, to name a few. All of them seem to have a touch of their own.
We kicked off our meal with this serving of Jackfruit Momos (Rs. 650). The silky shells of these momos were packed with soft and mushy jackfruit, and slid down our throat so effortlessly. There were seven of them, along with a helping of Spicy Peanut Sauce. Spicy, peanutty, and with a tinge of curry, make good use of this sauce for the extra flavour.
Dinesh got the Eggs Benedict (Rs. 1100). You can get it with chicken ham or smoked salmon, and we opted for the latter.
The poached eggs were well-executed. They had splendidly runny golden-coloured yolk pouring out, while the smoked salmon was fresh and of high quality. There was a sprinkle of chilli flakes spicing things up, some black sesame too, and the Hollandaise sauce was on point – buttery and lemony.
What really stole the show was the Apple Salsa. A combination of apple and bell pepper, it added a lot of tang to the flavour profile. So good, so good!
I ordered the Chicken Penne With Pink Sauce (Rs. 900). Cooked al dente, the penne was smothered with a wonderfully creamy pink sauce. It was cheesy, tangy, and had lots and lots of chicken, so every bite was rich and flavoursome. A solid purchase if you love pasta as much as we do.
Coffee
Out of the range of hot and cold coffee, we selected two – a Cappuccino (Rs. 450) and a Piccolo Latte (Rs. 400).
They use Soul Coffee here and make a mean Cappuccino. The bold flavours of espresso stood out well and the texture of the milk was spot on – smooth, velvety and heated to perfection.
The Piccolo Latte was top notch. Sharing the same excellent milk, it was basically a strong latte. Brilliant!
Service
The staff was welcoming, friendly and happy to give out details about the speciality of their dishes. Our order was taken fast, and the food and drinks landed on our table within around 15 minutes. Impressive!
Conclusion
We highly recommend! The food and drinks are fabulous, and the picturesque ambience is truly enticing. It's a secret hideaway of a cafe in Colombo Fort that really gives the value for your money, while letting you take a break from the crowd and chatter that is city life.