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.

Cafe Fresh

Cafe Fresh Juice Zone - an international food franchise - is located on main Zamzama Boulevard; smack in the middle. We went there for coffee.

The dining area offers a combination of tables, chairs, and couches.

They have regular cafe stuff plus a variety of juices and smoothies. We ordered a Peach smoothie too, but didn't like it very much. :-/

Their coffee menu

Cafe Mocha for Rs 190 - it was good! It was in a very large cup and it tasted great. 

The environment was not too kid friendly, but the staff was still polite when my 2 year old son decided to throw salt from its shaker on to a table.

Verdict: I'll pass it next time.

Cafe Ciao, 6th Lane, Zamzama

Cafe Ciao is located on the far end of 6th Commercial Lane, Zamzama Boulevard, Phase 5 D.H.A, Karachi.

It is owned by an Italian company called Manuel.

The cafe has 2 floors, and a cosy ambience hued in amber, rust, and beige. 

Some wraps, pastas and sandwiches are on offer in the menu as well, in addition to the usual coffee and desserts.

Er, they need to print new menu cards. Notice the fat stains on them?

Anyway, if you peer closely enough, you'll see that desserts are priced between Rs 100 and Rs 400 a piece.

The coffee menu - and the stains reflecting the camera flash!

The television blaring out the usual stuff that clogs our minds so much that we crave coffee and rich desserts. :)

The cafe is kid-friendly and family oriented. This was someone else's kid sleeping peacefully on the couch at the table where we decided to sit. We didn't wake him up. :)

Cappuccino Grande (Large) for Rs 250.

Chocolate Chip Cookie for Rs 70

Another shot of the "Cappuccino Grande".

This Mochaccino was amazing for Rs 225. 

You can see that the specially-trained staff is quite good at "Latte Art". They have been trained by Manuel, or so I've heard.

Hot Chocolate (Dark Choc) for Rs 260. 

This was extremely sweet and insipid; hardly "dark" or rich. A huge disappointment!

Choco-Chunk Brownies for Rs 260

My verdict: Would definitely like to visit again, especially to try the pasta or wraps, insha'Allah. 

The cafe has a very laid-back atmosphere, where you can just hang out without even ordering a lot on the menu. This means that the waiters will not come repeatedly to clear away your table or to ask you if you want to order anything more (hinting at you to leave, as is mostly the case in other eateries). It is more like a "lounge". Also, as I mentioned, the cafe is very kid-riendly. So if your kids decide to jump on the couch, the waiters will not notice (hopefully). :)

Note: It is a smoking zone, so if you have little children, you might want to go when the smokers are elsewhere.