Located near Forum Mall, Elgin Road, the Country House is one of the newly minted cafés in town. But it surely makes a mark in the minds of its visitors, from the moment they walk in. Housed in over a century old piece of architecture, the interiors are predominantly pristine white, with corners of bright color pops. It’s one of those places where old and new are woven together seamlessly.

They boast of Chef Brasserie Blanc Oxford, who has worked in a Michelin Star restaurant before.  The menu has been designed to showcase European dishes and techniques, but have been fine tuned to pleasure the Indian palette.

I am more of a tea person than a coffee fan, so out of the line of drinks we tasted, my favorites were the Iced Teas, specially the ginger one, served in the lovely bulb jars. Of the hot teas, the Sunshine Bloom was refreshing, and the perfect cup to wash away the fatigue of the day.

Coming to the food, I am not a fan of soups and their soups didn’t impress me much. Of the two salads, the Caesar Salad and the Chef’s Special, I clearly tilted towards the latter, with its vibrant reds and greens.

I am an eternal lover of mushrooms, so I really liked their Mushroom on Toast. But the Mushroom Burgandian was my favourite that evening. Served with a jus of mushroom itself, this humble looking dish was a true powerhouse.

Then came the Fries Basket with potatoes in different avatars. Well, potato is something we all love, but some variation in it’s dips or seasonings would have taken this a notch higher.

Though the pastas were a little too runny, I liked their risotto. I would have loved it if the Chef’s Special Burger was juicier, or had more elements though. The Exotic Grilled Veg Sandwich however, was again, pretty good.

The desserts served here are from Glace Patisserie, and were a pretty sweet way to end an evening full of brightness and laughter.

P.S.: Their coffee mugs are super cool!