There was a time when filter coffee was poured only at Udupi restaurants in Mumbai in the traditional dawara sets. Now, it’s being piped into a swirl, perched on cookies, and depending on where you go, dressed up like it’s headed to a dessert pageant. We ranked swirls across the city on what matters: Flavour (does it actually taste like kaapi?), caffeine kick, and texture.
Benne
If you manage to make it in and not stay in the queue, Benne can be a satisfying experience. And, their softy is elevated too. Made in collaboration with Indu Ice Cream, it is creamy, confident, and comes with cashew praline that adds crunch where it counts. The new address in Chowpatty, which opened last Friday, throws in a large cookie at the base with a dollop of the ice cream on top.
AT Nirav Apartment, 1,
Gulmohar Road, Juhu.
CALL 9004676941
COST Rs 180 onwards
Mangalore Tiffin Room
PIC COURTESY/Mangalore Tiffin Room
Mangalore Tiffin Room isn’t here to play small; they opened recently, but are going strong. The plain softy is solid, but the real flex is their latest collaboration with a neighbourhood bakery, Layers of Happiness. A choco chunk cookie is served from the bakery, and sits at the bottom of the tumbler. It’s warm, gooey, and indulgent. While it’s a limited-edition collaboration, owners say they will likely make it permanent.
AT Sangeeta Enclave, Sarvodaya Nagar, Mulund West.
COST Rs 90 (softy), Rs 150 (cookie version)
Prakash Dosa
PIC COURTESY/Prakash Dosa
They don’t try too hard, and they don’t fumble. This spot was probably the first to serve the softy once it went viral on social media. The soft serve is unapologetically coffee-forward. Bitter where it should be, not too sweet, and smooth without feeling overly processed. It actually tastes like someone respected the bean. We could do without their cocoa dusting on top.
AT Gurukripa building, Dr RK Shirodkar Marg, Parel East.
CALL 8657008662
COST Rs 120
Porvai
PIC COURTESY/Porvai
This version strips the soft serve down to basics. This is great in theory, but with the many versions out there, we were hoping for some innovation. Otherwise, the texture is great, the idea of simplicity is right, but it could add a garnish, perhaps?
AT Petrol Pump Lane, 158, MHB Colony Road, Mahavir Nagar, Kandivli West.
CALL 9372497573
COST Rs 200
Bastian Ammakai
PIC COURTESY/Ammakai
A polished soft serve with melted chocolate and toasted nuts — it looks good, it tastes right. But at this price, you expect a little more imagination. Right now, Ammakai is playing it safe in a very expensive room.
AT Kamal Building, New Link Road, Khar, Bandra West.
CALL 8655946632
COST Rs 325
