Cafe Eklektik is a little cafe tucked away inside the Goethe Institute on the leafy, sun-dappled Gregory’s Road. The Institute is housed in a lovely colonial building, with Cafe Eklektik opening out onto its verdant inner courtyard.
Eklektik recently underwent a refurb, so their food menu isn’t quite complete; we were rather heartbroken to learn the ice cream sandwiches are no longer being served. At the moment they sell lamprais (Rs. 450), fried rice and peanut chicken (Rs. 400, I think), miscellaneous shorteats and juices (ranging between Rs. 200 and Rs. 300). A limited selection for now, but more dishes will be added soon.
We can’t comment on the food since we didn’t have any, but the juices are truly excellent and the mango juice (Rs. 250) was the best we’ve had in the city so far – it was like slurping the flesh of the icy cold fruit straight through your straw. The packaging, also, is great. What’s even greater, however, is the service – the gentleman serving us was friendly and helpful, and was even apologetic about our choice of juice being unavailable. We’ve complained enough about the sloppy standards of service in this city, but honestly, friendly staff can really make a difference.
It may not occur to you to step inside the Goethe unless you’re attempting to master the art of the Deutsch, but the cafe is a lovely place and certainly worth a small detour. The design is carefully thought out, and it’s a quiet, nice little place to get some refreshment on a hot sunny day. Even if you’re not a fan of the schoolkid infested Gregory’s Road, that mango juice may be reason enough to brave the battalions of bobbing backpacks and rows of stagnant sedans.
