Grano Coffee: Why I would go back again

As of late, there has been a lot of buzz about new cafes coming up in Dar es Salaam’s city centre and I have heard pretty good reviews about them from my café-geek friends.
But for me, things are a little different. I go to a café for simply two things – good Wi-Fi or to try a new kind of sandwich.  At our recent stop-over to Mlimani City shopping mall, we stepped in Grano Coffee. If first impressions are said to be the best ones, then this café topped the winner’s list.
We entered at around 6.00 pm as the sun was about to set, that embodied the setting of the café through its tall windows that I simply admired.
We took a table by the window as the attendant happily placed the menu on the wooden table (another pointer for this café – happy chirpy attendants).

The food: The menu stretches out to both hot and cold beverages, including Turkish coffee, caramel macchiato, hot chocolate, homemade iced tea to mention a few. Light snacks and full meals are also spread out. I would give 7 on 10 with their pricing – it’s not very cheap but the prices are slightly reasonable from what I’ve heard about in city cafés.

Our order: Hot chocolate, cappuccino and chocolate cake to start with. For mains, our order stretched out to a fish and chips platter and tomato-cheese sandwich. Food came warm, well presented and we didn’t have to wait for too long. I personally was impressed with what the tomato-cheese sandwich had to offer.
 It came as a platter with fries, fresh salad (amazing homemade dressing) and a dip. The sandwich was layered and filled with at least two types of cheese – and the platter cost Sh6,000. Not bad for a person with a moderate appetite.
The place is pretty spacious but the interior makes it cosy, with a blend of sofa chairs and wooden furniture. There are sockets around the place where one can charge their laptops and make most of the Wi-Fi.

Popular orders at Grano: Beef delight, pizza and mixed grill.

Verdict: I was quite amazed by the culture of ‘meets at the café’ coming so alive at Grano Coffee spot where I witnessed a diversity of crowd – from students, couples to family. So here it is, off-city’s buzzy café that you must try – and it gets pretty busy during weekends. They are open from 8.30am up to 11.30pm - 365 days a year!

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