DOWNTOWN CAFE

Recently, a few food joints popped up in the Malibagh area, but each comes with its own set of flaws. Yet, I found Downtown Cafe a chic little place to hang out in that vicinity.

The first time I went there, the menu sort of baffled me, not because of a wide number of items, but the price. It was a little hard to believe that the items offered, could in fact, be offered at such reasonable prices. I assumed the quality wouldn't be up to the mark. Anyway, after a lot of hesitation, I settled for a chicken cashew nut salad, a cheesecake, and a cold coffee, priced at Tk 185, Tk 180 and Tk 50 respectively. Service took a while, but it wasn't an issue as they have WiFi.

Well, chicken cashew nut salad is one item that I have tried out in a lot of cafes and restaurants in Dhaka. So take it from me, Downtown Cafe's one was brilliant. It wasn't dry, and had generous servings of chicken and cashew nuts.

Anybody with a sweet tooth would dig the cheesecake. I had a blueberry cheesecake, and considering the price, I would give it a 4 out of 5. The cold coffee was the usual stuff, but I'd say it was priced pretty low. I even took a red velvet cupcake and a chocolate truffle on the go, priced at Tk 80 each, and while the truffle did not disappoint me, the red velvet cupcake was a tad too dry for my taste.

I have visited Downtown Cafe quite a few times since. The Thai soup is quite good, as are the pasta and the special chow mein, all of which are reasonably priced considering the portion and taste. The pizzas may look horrible on the menu, but they taste quite good.  But you know what their showstopper is? The chocolate éclair; at Tk 80, it is one sweet treat that you simply cannot miss.

However, don't think that all of their food is superb. Take the fried chicken, for example; it's bad, really bad. And other than the smoked chicken sub, the other subs are sub par. So I'd say, choose your food wisely, and consult the waiters or the manager to ensure you are choosing what's best for your taste buds and easy on your pocket.
The ambiance of the place is quite good with ample lighting for photographs, though the cafe sometimes plays music that is borderline buzz-kill. It's still a good place for a date or a hangout. Another issue is the cafe's limited seating capacity. And by that, I mean that the cafe is pretty small, and a little narrow. I've had to wait to finally get a table one time. The service, though, is good, especially if the owner is around.