Tuck into some paninis with a cappuccino as we take you for a coffee break to a new joint

Just when the business analysts thought Costa was up and ready to pack bags and move lock, stock and barrel from the Indian shores back to where it belonged, it's back and how. After setting shop in many Indian cities and then shutting shop in smaller cities, it decided to rejig its Indian strategy with presence only in the metros. And last week they set foot in the booming Bangalore market with four new outlets.u00a0

We dropped by to check if they kept up to their promise of 'We make it better', what with Bangalore being home to scores of Cafe Coffee Days and Baristas. With only two days since its inception in the city, we were quite surprised with the well travelled already stepping out to sample the brew. On our visit to the coffee shop at Sigma Mall, we noticed that the joint had managed to attract atleast a dozen coffee enthusiasts who were buzzing about the place. It's probably the initial curiosity for the young lot and for those who have tried it before, a longing to get the same taste again. My friend suspects it could have something to do with their location too.

We tried the Mushroom and Cheese Panini (Rs 110), which was gooey and cheesy on the bite. The Smoked Chicken and Roasted Panini (Rs 115) was smoking rocking. The chicken wrapped in the soft yet slightly crisp bread was lovely, smoky. We also shared a Pasta Alfredo, which was cooked al dente, though a little dry. When asked if we could get a little portion of white sauce to add in, we were told that these come in ready packed portions and since they are not cooked right then, they had no option to add the extra sauce. Also, the pasta was quite stingily garnished with a sliver of ripe tomato and only a handful of mushrooms. 110 bucks? We Sigh!
But thankfully there was respite. We recommend you bite into the Chocolate Tavoletta (Rs 70). It is sweet, chocolatey and loaded with raisins. The other dessert you could nibble on is a large Chocolate Muffin.

It was time to try what we had stepped in the first placeu00a0-- a hot cuppa Cappuccino. The coffee blend was smooth, but little did we realise that the size of their large cup would be actually really large. The beverage though was quite refreshing, bitter-sweet on the first sip, with a pleasant-I-want-another-and-another-sip. We liked the way they have designed their saucers with place for the cup to sit on a side than the usual centre, making room for cookies or sugar. There are also Iced Latte and Iced Mocha options for those who prefer their coffee cold in the summers.

The chain that's been around since the 70s in the UK, has set foot in Bangalore now, but will they survive that long is a question we all would have to just wait and watch.

At Costa Coffee, CMH Road, Indirangar, Koramangala 80 Feet Road, Sigma Mall, Cunningham Road and RMZ Eco Space.