We'd heard about dreamcafe being one of the more chill places to hang out in Ella Town, in addition to having some pretty epic fish & chips. Keeping our expectations in check, we walked in for some coffee and cookies (or brownies. or anything to munch on), and walked out quite happy.
Food and Drink
'Twas a foggy, rainy, and gloomy evening. Visibility was near zero. Dramatic beginnings aside, it was the perfect weather for books, warm caffeine, hot chocolate, and cake. Lucky we were to get these, and more.
Our Cappuccino (Rs. 385) and Mocha (Rs. 400) arrived within a few minutes of each other. The cappuccino was standard, mild and warm and comforting with a satisfying layer of froth on top.
The mocha tasted a bit watered down, with more cocoa to it than caffeine. It could've been better if it was a bit thicker, and with a stronger kick of coffee. Overall I don't think it's worth the price.
For munchies, we ordered a chocolate mug cake (Rs. 350) and beer-batter fried fish & chips (Rs. 790).
The mug cake arrived quite warm and exuded a bit of steam, before it promptly cooled down thanks to the weather.
Not too nice when cold, given that it was a tad dry and flavourless — despite the rich, chocolatey colour, it was rather crumbly and tasteless ten, fifteen minutes later. Having it with the ice-cream which accompanied it was a vast improvement because the ice-cream provided some much needed moisture.
The winner of the evening though, was the fish & chips.
Hands down one of the best I've tasted, the fish and potatoes (both in chip and wedge forms) remained surprisingly crisp and crunchy to the end (which honestly wouldn't have taken long at all had it not been a large portion, even for the four of us). Coming with sides of tartar sauce, mayo, and ketchup, the fish was surprisingly succulent in its deep fried batter coating.
I should probably stop going on about this now, so let me just end it by telling you guys to go try it out.
Service and Ambience
Nearly all the customers there were tourists, and we were pretty much the only locals. Despite that, the service didn't discriminate and we appreciate that. As in most places we'd experienced in the hill country, they were very hospitable, and didn't hover around uncomfortably. The dining areas are open, plenty of natural light and air filters in. There's a mezzanine-like upper structure (balcony), and also a ground floor which looks pretty dope with fairy lights once night settles in.
Conclusion
Friendly staff, chilled out place (as are most of the places in Ella), and great fish and chips.
