Review: Cafe DownTown, Karachi

Here is to the launch of the other half of my blog – restaurant reviews!

For my first review, I will be sharing my thoughts about Cafe DownTown located at Khyaban-e-Sehar, DHA Phase 6, Karachi. The first thing which hits you upon entering the Café is the ambiance. The restaurant is done in a very interesting manner with a black and silver theme which gives the Café a dark yet trendy feel. Although the bold interior may not be to every ones taste, I will give full marks to the architects for creativity and consistency because every corner of the premises, even the roof, is in tune with the snazzy feel of the Cafe.  

Cafe DownTown Ground Floor

Cafe DownTown - The Roof 

Primarily targeting the younger lot, Café DownTown offers homemade shisha as well as various types of cuisine such as Italian, Mexican and Mediterranean. They also have a rich collection of beverages with various types of juices, hot drinks, mocktails and special drinks made with red bull. If one wants, one can even get customized beverages made at the bar. Their menu, shaped in the form of a semi-circle, not only looks different but is also user-friendly due the various tabs which highlight each section of the menu. This makes searching for a specific section very easy. 

One shortcoming that I did notice though was that not all items in the menu contained a detailed description underneath. Such details are important as they help diners make an informed and quick decision about what they want to eat. At the same time, it also works in the café’s favor to describe their food offerings in detail as the staff may not be able to tend to such requests on a busy day. The Sauté Steak was one such example and since I was interested in ordering it, I had to call the manager to find more about it. The manager was very cordial and patient which more than made up for this minor oversight.   

For starters, we ordered the Mega Mix Platter priced at Rs. 549 (inclusive of taxes) which contained an assortment of items such as cheese sticks, chicken cheese balls, fried finger fish, prawns and chicken wings. Served with three different types of dips namely honey mustard, tartar sauce and marinara, the Platter tasted heavenly with all the items cooked perfectly. We ordered two such platters and the serving per platter was so generous that it was more than enough for our party of twelve. 

The Mega Mix Platter

The Three Types of Dips Served With The Platter

For the main course, we ordered the Sauté Steak priced at Rs. 665 and the DownTown Special Beef Burger priced at Rs. 465. The burger was humongous with a good helping of french fries on the side. The best thing about it was that in spite of its size, the burger was very easy to manage and didn’t keep falling apart or dripping all over the place. If I have to compare it with the burgers that I have eaten at Roasters, Hardee's and McDonalds to name a few, then Café DownTown wins hands down. 

DownTown Special Beef Burger

On the other hand, the Sauté Steak with its rich seasoning of cajun was just as pleasing to the sight as it was delectable to the taste buds. The serving size of the steak was more than the average person could eat with a liberal serving of mashed potatoes and fried vegetables on the side. The mashed potatoes were very creamy with small chunks of potatoes and the steak which is supposed to be on the spicier side was cooked to perfection. 

The Saute Steak

For drinks we ordered the Mint Lemonade and I am glad that we did as it was very fresh with a strong and pleasant minty taste and a serving that did not disappoint. The service at Café DownTown was very prompt and efficient. The manager was very polite, helpful when it came to suggesting what to try, knowledgeable about the menu and very interested in talking to consumers and getting feedback. Interestingly though, no feedback forms were given to fill at the end of the meal. 

Mint Lemonade

Hit or miss? An absolute hit!

Go for it if you:

1. Need an informal place to hang out with friends
2. Are into shisha
3. Want a wide variety of good food with servings that offer great value for money

Don’t go for it if you:

1. Are not a fan of inhaling shisha smoke
2. Are planning to dine with the family
3. Find the cost per head of Rs. 1000 to Rs. 1500 unreasonable

My rating for Café DownTown is 4.5/5.

Have you been to Café DownTown yet?

© Rabea J. and from-my-dressing-to-dining-table.blogspot.com, 2012. Unauthorized and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Rabea J. and from-my-dressing-to-dining-table.blogspot.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.