Confection time

(Clockwise from centre) Cookie dough cupcake, oatmeal and black current cookie, Nutella cookie, double chocolate chip cookie, white chocolate cookie and vanilla cookie

There's so much one can do with cookies, though innovations with the much-loved confection are a rarity in this city. The opening of Millie's Cookies, a UK-based cookie brand in Mumbai (they also have outlets in Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata), got our hopes up.

We reach their Kala Ghoda outpost and realise that it has replaced a selfie coffee café that had created quite a buzz for a short while. A quick look at the menu reveals that they also have a few savoury options, which we are wary of since we have rarely come across good snacks at dessert or coffee chains.

Firni milkshake

We call for a ratatouille quiche (Rs 120), a tricky-sounding firni milkshake (Rs 150; another localised option, the kheer shake, was unavailable), and parcel their cookies. The savoury jinx continues and the quiche turns out to be pretty basic, with no standout flavours. The milkshake, too, tastes like a generic sweet vanilla-ey beverage.

We decide to give their specials a try and order a Nutella cookie (Rs 120) and a vanilla cookie dough cupcake (Rs 115). The Nutella offering is better than the rest, though we notice that all their cookies are more sugary compared to what's offered at popular brands in the city. The cookie dough cupcake is dry, and the frosting tastes cheap and greasy. They also offer giant cookies, which we decide to skip.

We get a discount on a pack of four assorted cookies (Rs 224, plus taxes), which includes vanilla, double chocolate chip, oatmeal and black current, and white chocolate (you can pick any cookie of your choice). The double chocolate chip cookie shines through, and the crumbly treat tastes good even without microwaving. The oatmeal and black current cookie has a great texture, but again, it's too sweet. The other two are average, leaving us with nothing to come back for.

While the service at Millie's is warm and helpful, the three-decade-old chain needs to improve its offerings if it wishes to survive in Mumbai's ruthless food industry.

At: Millie's Cookies, Commerce House, near Ayub's, 140, Nagindas Master Road, Kala Ghoda, Fort.
Time: 9 am to 1 am
Call: 9372082909

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