Croffle at Cafe Dori
| Photo Credit: Dinesh Kakollu

Coffee, conversations and crunchy salads with dressings. That is what you can look forward to at Cafe Dori, a small cafe inside the Nappa Dori store at Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad. 

The Pan-European Café is a brand extension of Nappa Dori, a 4,000-square-foot store outlet where one can find bestselling travel equipment, bespoke leather bags, accessories, home accents and much more. 

Drawing inspiration from Scandinavian minimalist design, the cafe stands out with its small tables and small chairs, unlike the cafes where everything from decor to tables scream big and loud. The airy space has ample natural lighting.

The burrata salad with sourdough toast
| Photo Credit:
Dinesh Kakollu

Gautam Sinha, founder of Nappa Dori, Cafe Dori & Dori Living, explains the design and the philosophy of the brand. He says, “We wanted to create a space where people could immerse themselves in a curated experience that combines the beauty of fine leatherwork, thoughtful design, and a warm ambience. This reflects beautifully in our first-fully seated Cafe Dori in Hyderabad.”

Cafe Dori is inspired by French, English and East European cuisines, which is reflected in the menu and ambience. This cafe shines aesthetically in both its furniture and tableware. Cafe Dori’s menu is driven by curated European home-style dishes.  It has a choice of hot and cold coffees with coffee beans sourced from plantations across the country. Iced teas are also an option here.

The menu is dominated by salads, croffles and a lot more. So do not expect your usual cafe menu of pastas, burgers and pizzas. The salads come with a lot of cheese options; the description of the burrata salad was tempting enough to order. It turned out to be visually appealing with a splash of red, green and yellow from leaves, fruits and berry reduction. The vinaigrette dressing has the itty-bitty roasted walnut with the burrata. 

The warmth of the small team and their suggestion of tea when I said caffeine might interrupt my sleep, piqued my interest. So by the time I was done with my salad, my croffle had already arrived. It came with a delish side of blushed cherry tomato, carrot top pesto olive and bocconcini cheese. Honestly, these are the kind of salads that are hard to refuse.

Mini falafals
| Photo Credit:
Dinesh Kakollu

Then there is a section dedicated to eggs — baked, poached, and scrambled. All the three come with a choice of additions like mushroom, salmon, parmesan and garlic. Other options include shakshuka or Turkish eggs.

A lot of toast in their all-day breakfast menu allows the diner to eat according to one’s mood or appetite. Hungry folks can go for their full plates which include hand-rolled pastas, linguine puttanesca and more. These can be combined with the half-plate selection of meats like sumac chicken, chicken chermoula or the Gambas Al Ajillo (prawns cooked in garlic, olive oil and red chilli). 

Coffee pannacotta
| Photo Credit:
Dinesh Kakollu

Gambas Al Ajillo that I tried is hot and juicy, a definite hit with prawn lovers. The breads that were served with most of the dishes need a special mention. So do their croffles. They are fresh and not doughy. For dessert, the coffee pannacotta will be a good one if your tolerance for sweet is not high.

Added feature: Lot of Instagram-able spots at the cafe.

Cafe Dori is at Jubilee Hills