Café La Défense

It's pretty hard to find a decent cuppa out here in the mean streets of CMB. While there ARE a few places that serve good battery acid, you need to be prepared to sacrifice your wallet to the caffeine deities which most of us really do not want to do. Café La Défense is by no means cheap, but their coffee is alright.

Coffee & Grub

We stuck to the basics with a cup of Cappuccino (Rs. 350) and a Coffee Float (Rs. 450).  
The cappuccino was served hot and was by no means spectacular in terms of coffee art. The brew is creamy, doesn't taste like it's been burnt through, slides down your throat and makes for an overall smooth experience. At Rs. 350 it's pretty reasonable, especially since you and I both know places that serve a lot less for a lot more.
The Coffee Float is basically iced coffee with a dollop of ice cream. While the price seems a bit questionable at Rs. 450, it was still a large glass which we couldn't finish. The coffee was sweet and a light hint of condensed milk came through but we were fine with that. I don't recommend that you let the ice cream melt into the drink though because that made it unbearably sweet. If you're keen on going to the dentist, then go right ahead.

I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting much but the Chicken Sandwich (Rs. 450) is quite large and is served with a fair amount of chips on the side. The chicken filling though, holy moly, had to be one of the tastiest things I've had in any cafe recently. It was definitely home-made and I really appreciate that they didn't overdo the whole chicken to cheese ratio. The chicken was absolutely delicious, crispy with a lot of dark meat. The quantity of the filling was just right so you don't have to worry about making a mess. They didn't overdo the condiments either, so it's all very neatly prepared. A real treat.

We tried ordering a brownie since their blackboard outside suggested it, but we were told that the only sweeties on hand were the ones on display so we settled for the Almond Bar (Rs. 350). This has to be the only let-down because while it tasted good, it was very old and hence wasn't very pleasant. The texture was like hardened fudge and though it's small (not worth Rs. 350) we didn't want to finish it. I appreciate that they've used real almonds instead of drowning it in almond essence, so perhaps the fresher version of this dessert would be much more bearable.

Ambience & Service

They've done a good job at keeping the place cosy, with dim lighting and warm accents. This makes the interior a bit dark, but that's generally expected of an average bistro. They're very smoker-friendly; they've got seating areas out front and at the back equipped with ashtrays so enjoy your caffeine with them coffin nails.
Strangely enough, there's only one server who manages the entire coffee-shop as the chefs didn't make an appearance at all. The lady who works as a cashier/waitress/receptionist does a really good job of multi-tasking so please be patient.

Conclusion

If you're in the area, stop by for a dose of coffee so you have your energy in check. The coffee is good, the place is cosy and their sandwiches seem promising.