The Aqua Java outlet at Hungerford Street. Pictures by Rashbehari Das

A dip of khubz bread into Babaganouj and Hummus, a fresh feta cheese and sun-dried tomato salad, a puff of hookah and a sip of hot coffee — all this while surfing the Net on your laptop. Aqua Java, the popular coffee chain, has made a comeback, adding two theme and two non-theme outlets to the city’s coffee counter, all of which are Wi-Fi zones.

The first two to spring up end-November were the Loudon Street and Hungerford Street coffee bars. Walk into Kafe Istanbul at 8/2 Loudon Street (next to Belle Vue clinic) for an Arabian experience and a “cosmopolitan feel”. Spread across 1,500 sq ft, there’s an outdoor portico, an inside seating area and a retro lounge. Ancient lamps hanging from the ceiling light up bright “Turkish colours” that lend youthful cheer. You almost miss the discreet wooden door that leads to a retro lounge inside, with sheesha, mirrors and splashes of red for company.

“We have played with the lounge and lights at all the coffee-bars but kept a few things common like the chairs and the main menu. We’ve made it colourful and bright with a minimalist yet rustic look,” explain Saket Agarwal and Pushpesh Baid, directors, Aqua Java. For a taste of Turkey, walk up to the Turkish counter (exclusive to this outlet) and try the Istanbul platter, with servings of Hummus, Babaganouj, Mutabal and Cacik. Priced at Rs 99 (all-inclusive), it is value for money.

There are also Shawarma Sandwiches, Baklava Temptations, Cacik (yoghurt and cucumber dip/sauce) and Mutabul (roasted eggplant) to dig into.

Next up is Aqua Java on 10/4 Hungerford Street, next to the St Xavier’s back gate. Smaller and more compact, the 600-sq-ft coffee bar serves up frosted coffees and trademark creations like the Crunchin’ Java and Brownie Java. It’s USP? A 20 per cent discount for students.

Complementing coffee is a healthy and nutritious salad bar at the 1,000-sq-ft Med Caffe at 32 Elgin Road (opposite C3), that upped its shutters on January 6. Legumes, fresh herbs, cherry tomatoes, juliennes of carrot, cornflakes, alfalfa sprouts and focaccia croutons with dressing choices of mayonnaise, balsamic vinaigrette and Greek Tzaziki make up the salad bar.

“Health food is at an all-time high in the city,” feels Saket. Here also, the coffee bar leads to a lounge with rough wooden flooring, buckets and ropes, “a common home accessory in Greek homes”, he explains. With glass exteriors that look out onto bustling Elgin Road, a plateful of Greek classic Moussaka (fried eggplant, green peppers, tomatoes, onions) and a view of the Mediterranean map and historical timeline up on the wall, the Med Caffe’s Mediterranean feel is refreshing.

Finally, the existing 10 Wood Street Aqua Java is revamped and modern with more colour and spatial simplicity. Sadly — or maybe not — the upstairs quarters, previously strewn with cigarette-studded beanbags that doubled as ashtrays, does not permit smoking anymore. For a puff, you will have to move base to the portico of the Loudon Street Kafe Istanbul (the only Aqua Java outlet where smoking is now allowed).

Yet if there’s one thing that keeps bringing coffee lovers back for more, apart from the excellent ambience, it is the competitive pricing. A cappuccino comes for Rs 29 . “Let’s coffee”, indeed, as the punchline goes.