Everyone has a place that is special for them. A place which they are not just fond of, but a place that makes them feel comfortable, a place where they get a feeling of belonging. The Barista Lavazza café in Baroda happens to be mine.
Baroda is not where I came to know of Barista, our connection is much older than that. More than 10 years ago when I used to haunt the Crosswords book store at Mithakali in Ahmedabad, I would spend time in the adjoining café with the book I would have had bought. That café happened to be Barista. It was a ritual for me to read my pre-ordered Harry Potter on the day of release in Barista. When having bought anything other than Harry Potter, I would spend less time in there, but a visit was always on the cards.
Then something horrible happened. Barista shut down, and was replaced by some other chain of coffee shops. It was decent, but didn’t have the same feeling as Barista. Years later, when I had to meet a friend in Baroda, she asked me to come to Barista. I was overjoyed to learn that Barista had opened sop again. Lavazza had taken over, and opened up at new places. They were smart in the fact that they didn’t change what was already bringing back the old loyal customers, and yet had something for new lovers. My love was back.
After renting out a different place with new roommates in the same area, I could easily spend more time at Barista. It was natural for one of us to be tired from work, and ask the other to join him for coffee at Barista. Barista still serves some of the best coffee that I have had. Their hot chocolate is to die for. Let me walk you through the place with pictures.
Welcome to Barista
This is one of the few places that I know where people love sitting outside as much as they love the insides. There is no special sitting arrangement outside, just two ledges on either sides of the door where you have glass panes. There is enough space to sit on it.
There have been many nights when roommate and I have spent sitting there just chatting away into the last hour of the night forgetting what happened at work, or sometimes just reading in silence.
When we went in as a group, this was our spot. One could keep track of the score if there was a cricket match going on. We could all have our drinks and snacks placed in front us, on the centre table.
When it came to hot drinks, I prefer their Cafe Mocha. It is such a wonderful blend of chocolate and coffee. The cookies help as well 😀
At times when I felt like reading alone, I would order a Brrista for myself. It is their version of a cold frappe which has icecream blended with coffee. The only sad thing about this is that I end up finishing it quickly in three sips, and am left wondering where it all went.
They have such lovely wall art decor. The first one has “AT ANY TIME OF DAY A CUP OF COFFEE DELIGHTS, REVIVES AND STIMULATES THE SENSES.” on it.
This is another lovely piece they have, that takes up almost half of the wall. I love how they have not drawn the features and expressions of the people in it, and have left it to the viewer’s imagination.
This is my spot when I go there by myself. If someone is already occupying it, you may find me sulking about it. The moment they leave, I get up and move to it before anyone else does.
This a panaroma shot from the spot. I can cover the entire place from it, corner to corner. I can see the wash room and wait at my seat instead of having to wait at the door for the person to come out. The barista can signal for me when my order is done. I can look at the outsides through the door and glass panes, and keep an eye out for a friend who may have made plans with me. It also has a charging point right behind the chair, and I can keep my laptop plugged in. I remember sitting hours over there playing games on my laptop.
One day I received a call from the Barista office regarding a feedback form I had filled up. They had called to confirm my address, and they sent in this lovely mug as a gift along with a letter.
The letter reads as :
“ Hi Hrishikesh,
Thank you for writing in!
We appreciate feedback like yours that inspires us to move in a positive direction.
I am enclosing a small souvenir with this package.
Please keep writing for customers like you are the ones we work for. 🙂
Barista Team.
BARISTA FOR ALL.”
They’re the best!
Written for day 2 of the A-Z Blogging Challenge 2014.
And I write 
There was a time when I had time for Coffee and I loved Barista! Those art pieces are very cool!!
Now you have the boyz 🙂
During college days, we had a hangout like that too. Where we’d love to go chill out. 🙂
No Barista nearby here so I currently make do with CCD 😛
I am not that big a fan of CCD. But one manages with what one has
Not fair Hrishikesh… just when I decide to go to sleep finally, you share this lovely coffee post with all the pictures… damn I want some coffee now…
But what do you tell your friends if you do not make it to Barista due to rains? Barish-tha yaar?
Comment pe bhi PJ ??!!! 😀
She is aadat se majboor 😛
Is month PJ gown pehna hai na…
Go on…we are having fun 😀
What is this cannot-make-it-to-Barista that you speak of?
What??? *Scratching my head
Love Barista. The atmosphere is always inviting. I need some coffee now.
They have such a warmth to their places
Favourite place, favourite table, favourite chair, …. we are creatures of habit, aren’t we?
We find comfort in familiarity, it seems
Awesome! Something comforting about places and things that make us find our zones, right?
Oh yes..
A cozy cozy post. I need coffee right now and the fridge is without milk.:)
I hope the milkman’s been by your place now
I like cozy cafes which are not crowded. Glad that you have a warm joint for yourself 😉
Oh yes. One of the good things about this place is that there are times when it is full, but people aren’t creating a ruckus.. Everyone is talking in their circles, but it is pleasant sound, and not a noise
Ok…next time I’ll look out for a Barista cafe to have that rare cup of coffee !
I love the panorama shot…lovely 🙂
I hadn’t planned to have that shot actually.. But I went to Barista last night, and it was a serendipitous thing
Sometimes, you keep visiting the same place again and again, for some comfort feeling, right ?? I get such vibes in one or two supermarkets – its great therapy for me 🙂
That was quite a detailed tour. i can so imagine you sitting at your fav spot for hours! 🙂
🙂
No Barista here. So gotta make do with CCD. But I love having coffee once in a while, when I take my book along or just sit and watch everybody else. Your post made me crave for coffee 🙂
oh yes, gotta make do with CCD. CCD is nice in the fact that it made coffee popular, and more reachable.. But Barista is Barista
Nice one. Liked the pictures that goes with your write-up. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee and cinnamon rolls or freshly baked bread is heer heaven. 🙂 Good for you that they allow you to grow roots there. 🙂
I have a real fondness for this place
Great tour and well captured. I loved the panoramic picture of the cafe! B for Brilliant post.
Thank you 😀
I have never taken to the coffee houses for some reason. Though I just love coffee. Did I tell you that I prefer the coffee at places like McD which are really good. And, my favorite hangout used to be Crosswords. Sit with a book for hours and even drink coffee and have a sandwich in the cafe attached.
My favorite Crosswords used to be the one close to Law Garden in Ahmedabad. I heard it has since shut down. Now I hardly go to bookstores, order online and am a member of a lovely online library :).
I think we’re talking of the same Crossword, since there is only one crossword (underground basement one) between Law Garden and Mithakali
My office was close to Mithakhali Cross Road in 1998-99. It shifted to opp. Iskcon Temple in end 99 which is when my visits to the said Crosswords stopped. A lovely place it was!
I see you are a real fan! The only problem for me with coffee places like this (including Starbucks) is the price! I’m a real cheapo, so it never goes down well for me!
Barista is way more expensive than some place like CCD. A capuccino at CCD is around 50 INR, but Barista is 130 INR.
This is why many people prefer CCD over Barista here
Wonderful 🙂 That Barista at Bird Circle in Baroda is simply amazing! Well if you remember, Hrishikesh, we’ve both spent our best of times there apart from the ones at Chocolate Room Ahmedabad. This comes from a true coffee lover..! Wonderful 🙂
I quite like them too! Nicely done, Bawa. And yes, your thoughtfulness is really appreciated, just wanted you to know that, not just by Barista 😀
One big coffee lover,…aren’t you?? Lovely post…loved all the pictures.
Awesome, so if we happen to be in Baroda, we can spot you with a book and a coffee in this Barista outlet :). My fondest memories of Barista is gossiping with my best girl frns- colleagues during my last job at the office Barista counter, sipping over their coffee and hogging their famous dessert, pastry with icecream and hot choc sauce. I am forgetting the name. We used to look for any excuse to go and have that dessert.
Chocolate excess 😀
yuo yup…chocolate excess and no doubt we used to have that in excess:P
This is the best review Barista team could have ever asked fro! You shoudl reply back to the email tehy sent with this post ka link. Who knows they may make u their brand ambasador 😀
I loved Barista too… we used to go there for having a gala time; but sadly, the one in Cochin closed due to some reason and now we cannot go there anymore.
Barista is my favorite too. If you come to Hyd , don;t miss it . it is in banjara hills. Am hoping it still is. I feel like going there now. I mean LITERALLY!
I love cafe mocha and that frappe version too.. 2 years back I was a regular customer. Now not any more. getting the cup and letter is cool 🙂
A very detailed tour. I like quaint, warm places and Barista certainly makes the cut.
Well I love coffee and I love Barista too….and incidently my two favorite kinds of Coffee are Cafe Mocha and Irish Coffee 🙂
There is…was… a Barista in Bangalore that I loved, it was opposite KC Das and the best ambiance in any Barista I had ever seen. I love little coffee shops, especially the ones where the waiter doesnt give you sideways glances wondering what the hell are you still sitting for? Nice write up.
this is so cool 🙂
by the way,did you like khasak’s history?
Just started it last night.. Will post a review once I am done 😀
It looks like a lovely place. How lucky we are that we have places like these to mull in.
I love the art pieces at Barista, though it’s been a while since I’ve been there!
I don’t have a place where I am a regular although this post makes me want one!
Dude! Your B for Barista is awesome..the place I hanged out and studied in both Mumbai and Pune…on FC Road, Law College Road, VT and Shivaji Nagar..No place like Barista..I’d spend hours reading, chatting and what’s not. It defines us:)
How wonderful…Barista is a great place to hang out alone…I love their mojitos and cold coffees. 🙂 Lovely review!
That is a nice cafe. And they gave you a mug wow!
In Mysore it was CCD that was my place and in Bangalore there was a Barista in Kormangala that we used to frequent.
Fabulous ambience and coffee! 🙂