Olé Cafe, Zamzama, Defence

Olé Cafe is situated on 6th commercial street, Zamzama, Defence Phase 5, Karachi, next to the popular Behbud Creations outlet.

The cafe's interior is done in brown and mahogany hues, with one central table occupying most of the space in the middle.

 Our party of 12 ladies was given this table for our reservation.

On one side, there are fixed booths seating 4~6 people.

Dining tables and chairs for two or four are also placed along one wall. There are two plasma televisions blasting out loud stuff from the walls. :-/

For those who'd like to know, "Olé" is a greeting in Spanish that means a shout of approval or excitement.

Prices of the soups and salads (exclusive of tax).

The menu has sandwiches, pastas and steaks as well.

Their dessert menu was economically priced though, with each item between Rs 100-200..

Latte!

More latte....(there were different kinds)

Peach drinks

Slice of chocolate cake...it was huge!

Chocolate Malt Cake

Cappuccino @ Rs 120

Brownies with ice cream and chocolate sauce @ Rs 120

Verdict: The ambience was pleasant with tables comfortably spaced out from each other, preventing that cramped feeling that is there in many other cafes on Zamzama. The waiters were polite and courteous to our large company of ladies who chatted away for a good hour, non-stop. :)

The quality of the coffees and desserts was also more than satisfactory. I would recommend this cafe for anyone interested in a quick coffee and cake!

Espresso, Khayaban-e-Shahbaz, Defence Phase 5

Espresso Coffee House hardly needs any introduction. It is a very popular coffee house/cafe that has three outlets in Karachi: one on Zamzama, another in The Forum shopping mall and the third, its largest outlet, on main Khayaban-e-Shahbaz near the Shamsheer/Hafiz crossing.

Breakfast menu: breakfast at Espresso is very popular.

Desserts are a big hit with young and old alike, especially when complemented by a hot or cold coffee.

When we went at 6 p.m, the diners included a variety of diverse people: young people in groups, ladies in pairs, and students with laptops, not to mention executives and senior couples, all enjoying a cuppa. Note: passive smoking might be an issue while dining here.

Mochaccino @ Rs 245

Mocha Frappe @ Rs 215

Mars cheesecake @ Rs 275 - layers of vanilla cream with cadbury chocolate in between, drizzled with chocolate sauce. Too heavy for a single person, but good when shared by two!

Verdict: Very few, if any, do coffee and cake like Espresso. For most, it is akin to Starbucks in taste. Try it out to see for yourself.

Note: when it is crowded, the guffaw-infused conversations at the adjoining tables can be easily overheard, especially at Espresso's cramped Zamzama outlet. The loud music is a bit of a turn-off  as well, when you are already listening in unintentionally to others' surrounding conversations. Also, passive smoking could be an issue for those who are not used to hanging out with ardent smokers.