There's a waiter in my salad!

MYSTERY GUEST

So, Barista has a new premium product offering... Barista Crème, marketed as the next level up from Barista espresso bars. I set off for Colaba to see whether the company had succeeded in differentiating their new product. And, disappointingly, discovered otherwise.

You realise as you walk through the glass doors that this format offers so much more space but aesthetically, Crème doesn't stand out. There's a lot of the orange colour that Barista is identified with, there's the exposed steel plumbing, there's the contemporary graphics, but hang on... there are chunky leather couches. I sink in and think, "Now here's a value add."

You can stay seated because there is waiter service here. My waiter for the evening is a young man who smiles a lot, makes my Kenyan AA cappuccino extra strong when I ask him to, but pops something from the salad counter into his mouth when he thinks no one is looking. I judiciously decide against the salad but order a chicken wrap. My waiter tells me that unlike the regular Barista there is a restaurant-style kitchen here.

I peep into the open-style kitchen. I can see ovens and microwaves but no swearing chefs or steaming woks. The wrap arrives and confirms my suspicions. It's a heated tortilla with ready-prepared stuffing. It's also a no-frills meal. For Rs 120, there's not even a side portion of greens.

I look around. The semi al-fresco seating outside seems to be popular. Especially with the backpackers who write out postcards while they puff away at cigarettes. Crème certainly seems to have got it right with this segment.

Okay, so what about the coffee? I was disappointed that I wasn't greeted with the smell of freshly brewed coffee when I entered, but maybe they just have a great exhaust system. The menu sports more variety to include some single origin and estate coffees.

The bill comes to Rs 270 for a coffee, a tea and a wrap. I gasp a little, but then the prices are about 40 per cent more expensive than the regular Barista.

On a whim I pop into the regular Barista down the road. It is fuller and livelier. The music is upbeat and not pretentious. While I am no miser, I didn't get the point in paying so much more...even for that snug couch.

SCORE: The old Barista is cooler; this upmarket version overpriced, 5/10