In Your City | Bengaluru

For all the cafés that dot Bengaluru, there’s always space—even in crowded Koramangala—for one more that does things differently. The Flying Squirrel Micro Roastery and Café hits the neighbourhood after Ashish D’Abreo and Tej Thammaiah built up a loyal following for their seven varieties of coffee through online retail on Flyingsquirrel.in. The 1,200 sq. ft, 36-seater space is light, bright, and as conducive to chilling with friends as with your laptop.

As laid-back as the vibe of the café is, when it comes to the coffee, Flying Squirrel is quite exacting: They roast and grind the coffee on the spot every morning and some afternoons, ensuring the brew is as fresh as it can get. If you’re bewildered by choice, ask for a flight of coffees to figure out what works for you: We sampled all seven varieties—the nuances of and distinctions were an education—and finally ordered the Aromatique, a single-estate Arabica, as a pour-over with just a touch of milk, and Clouds In My Coffee—Arabica beans partially exposed to salty, humid sea air, as if inspired by a British-era misadventure—as an espresso.

Flying Squirrel offers a small menu of café-sized eats. Going by the Pulled Pork Sandwich and the Spaghetti with Bird’s Eye Chilly that we had though, the food needs a bit of work. No such complaints for the nitro-brew, which they claim is on offer for the first time in India: It was cold, light and strong, the perfect choice for the months ahead.

Prices: from Rs120 for an espresso/pour-over to Rs180 for a nitro-brew; Rs250 upwards for the eats; Rs290 upwards for 250g coffee packs. The Flying Squirrel Micro Roastery and Café, 136, 1st Cross Road, 5th Block, Koramangala (Tel: 40991044).