With all of the cafes cropping up, it’s only natural that you’re a bit reluctant to explore new places in case they don’t meet the expected standards. But Cafe Lemon Drop is certainly one that resides in the higher echelon of the cafes, they who know what they’re doing, excel at it and is definitely worth the visit.
The Food
The Blueberry Filling Pancake (Rs. 400) was a delight! Slathered in a blueberry syrup that did not just look good, but tasted even better and a litter of blueberries adorning the stack of pancakes and adding to the aesthetic as well as the taste, it was a steal. The pancakes had that thick, moist texture which had properly absorbed the blueberry syrup and thus emanating the flavour perfectly, each bite was as great as the one before.
The Nutella, Strawberry and Whipped Cream Waffle (Rs. 590) arrived after the Blueberry Pancakes, and shattered any assumption we had about the pancakes being the best thing on the menu.
With strawberries aplenty atop the golden brown, smushy waffle, along with whipped cream and Nutella adding to the harmony of flavours, it tasted like an orchestra teasing our tastebuds by playing the best of its symphonies. We knew anything Nutella infused would be good but the waffle was on a whole other level of brilliant.
The Lemon Drop Cafe Sandwich (Rs. 690) seemed like an orchestra that had been whipped up in the last minute, because the filling did not taste like it was in harmony, but rather, still finding that chord or space in which they can coexist. Although it had good musicians, it looked pretty solid, the taste was slightly off, the chicken was a bit cold and didn’t go with the rest of the filling, though we have to admit, the bread had been toasted to the ideal level.
The Espresso Double (Rs. 580), was bitter and strong, and the bitterness, as expected from a good espresso, did not have a burnt quality to it, but instead, ideal.
The Lemon Drop Tea Harmony (Rs. 350) was pretty. Cloves stuck into the peels of a lemon, it weirdly looked like the minuscule version of something off of an alien movie or Pain from Naruto (which is perhaps why I was super excited to try it out and not because I am a fan of tea, oops).
Coming with a sugar syrup that we could pour into it, thus keeping it at the ideal level of sweetness we would prefer, the Lemon Ice Tea alone was slightly bitter, had a tinge of lime, and was quite refreshing.
The Lemon Ice Tea (Rs. 350) was perfectly chilled and had the desired flavour we look for in an iced tea. Served in a mason jar, it was of high quality and quantity.
The ice cream was simply blissful. The scoops are quite sufficient and are priced at a range of Rs. 150-180 which just makes it even more better. We had the Mint and Chocolate Chip (Rs. 160) and the Mango (Rs. 180), and it was the perfect way to end an amazing experience at Lemon Drop Cafe.
The Mint flavour was perfectly encapsulated in the ice cream and with the chocolate chips in the fray, it was scrumptious. The mango flavour too was perfectly encapsulated, and the aforementioned slightly chewy texture transformed a simple scoop of ice cream into heaven.
Service and Ambience
A glassmaking one side of the wall and the other adorned with quirky quotes, Cafe Lemon Drop has capitalized on the space available and created quite a pleasant atmosphere for the customers. Comfortable sofas and also the availability of eating at the balcony upstairs promote a very chilled out atmosphere.
The staff too are quite friendly and accommodating, and since we happened to drop by in the afternoon and the sun was beating down on to the balcony, they were only too glad to rearrange the sofas downstairs to make it more comfortable to a larger crowd.
Conclusion
Lemon Drop Cafe is definitely a great place to drop by if you’re in the area or if you want to sit down by your own and get some work done, or catch up with a friend(s) and be as loud as you want as long as you don’t disturb the other customers. The food is definitely great and affordable, and the ambience sets the tone for a very pleasant time.