A friend sent me a fun questionaire designed to know her friends better and one of the questions was “When and with whom did you dine out last?” “That’s easy”, I said and then I started thinking. Then I thought some more until it dawned on me that I had not dined out in recent memory, that is , in the last 4 years. I am quite content with the occasional treats at the cafe de la liberte at the Alliance francaise campus.
You ask anyone who has been there what they love about the place and the inevitable answer will have to be “Rajan!” who runs the place. Even on the busiest of days, and he gets really busy on weekends when there is a performance in the auditorium, he never forgets to smile at everyone. He anticipates the crowd and stocks up on samosas, pastries, croissants, mini pizzas, pastas, doughnuts etc but if you are not early you may not get any. He is always sold out by 6 p.m and sometimes even earlier. You also get a choice of beverages and milkshakes and juices which are really good.The food is nothing extra ordinary but the ambiance makes up for it. You could sit in the lovely cool garden with specially designed bamboo seats arranged in clusters. Believe me this place can make you forget all the stress you may be under. And it is even better when there is a gentle spray of rain.
The cafe is located in the lobby of the building which has a nice seating arrangement too ( check Anita’s post on the alliance francaise which has the pictures of this place). My idea of unwinding is to sit there in a quiet corner sipping tea watching the so many different types of people who come there, or sit with a book in the garden , or with friends sipping endless cups of tea and snacking on some hot samosas or doughnuts either in the lobby or the atrium- anywhich way it makes me feel contented and peaceful just being there. There are so many quiet corners in this place and it is amazing how each one gives you a different experience. Every corner breathes a life of its own and has a unique character.
Entry is restricted to students, members of the mediatheque and the vistors to the shows at the auditorium. So when you are there next for a show please take some time to look around the place. For me it was love at first sight and the affair continues unabated. Tell me what you think.