Bandra gets the first outpost of a famed cafe chain which we find perfect to grab a quick snack, light meal, and of course, coffee
Chicken Tikka Croissant. Pics/Anurag Ahire
The first time we tasted this Canadian coffee chain’s offerings was in the UAE. A tea cake and coffee for the road from Abu Dhabi to Dubai, we thought it would be just another multinational brand, but their coffee was legit better than the “famous” US brand we are guilty of ordering from back home. Naturally, we were thrilled to hear that Tim Horton’s, a coffeehouse founded in 1964 by hockey player Tim Horton, had launched in our city. And despite the fear of a crowd that a recent UK coffee and sandwich chain instilled in us a month ago, we were ready to brave Bandra ‘s chaos. There’s an outlet at Andheri too, we are told, and a few more are lined up across the city for the coming months.
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Cream Cheese Bagel
The Bandra outlet was packed and the queue at the counter was long (though not serpentine)—this at noon on a weekday. Yes, we rolled our eyes too. Since it was hot outside, citrus yuzu lemonade (Rs 295) and a java chip iced cappuccino (Rs 365) were our preferred choice of drinks. The lemonade, with its sharp levels of citrussy tang, was the perfect thirst quencher; the iced cappuccino didn’t disappoint either.
Timbit
We started our meal with a bagel with cream cheese (Rs 185) and baida roti cigars (Rs 190), a cafe-style take on Mumbai street food. The former, a classic, was rich but we prefer our bagels more New York style— denser, chewier, and with a bite. However, the next dish—loaded chicken rice bowl (Rs 330)—bought down our experience. The rice and the chicken were too dry. The supervisor, who sensed our disappointment (we sure can make quite a face to express that), offered to replace the dish. He recommended the chicken and cheese melt sandwich (Rs 350) which he said was a crowd-pleaser, but honestly, it didn’t please us. The bread was too dry but full marks for customer service. The chicken tikka croissant sandwich (Rs 325) was a complete hit.
Cortado
The rich buttery, flaky texture of the croissant, paired with silky chicken tikka filling was a complete palate pleaser. We ended our meal with a maple and salted caramel doughnut (Rs 175), and blueberry and chocolate timbits (Rs 39 each). Timbits are the brand’s name for bite-sized doughnut balls. We’d recommend it over a full doughnut to those watching their waistline or those greedy to try different flavours in one go. And finally, we ordered a cup of cortado (Rs 278) and can safely say, their coffee, in India too is better than the “famous” US brand at every corner. Feeding our obsession of foreign coffee chains, for now, we are just happy that other foreign brands are breaking the American monopoly.
What: Tim Horton’s
At: Supreme Headquarters, 14th and 33rd Road, near Link Square Mall, Bandra West
When: 7 AM to 12.30 AM
Call: 8108017036
Rating: good
Tim Horton’s didn’t know we were there. Sunday Mid-day reviews anonymously and pays for meals.
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