In the 10 years that we have been in Bangalore, I have ventured to Whitefield only 3 times. I discovered  Cafe in the Haveli on Facebook and what I saw really fascinated me. Stone benches in a lawn, statues of proud lions and panthers on the kill and a stone pathway that lights up the way to this small cafe where you have the day's specials on a blackboard, floral tiled floors and samples of plated food on display. 

Several weekends and several excuses later, we decided to drive up to the Haveli. We were reassured that even if we reached beyond prime time lunch hour, service would still be on. Great thing this on a weekend, when the day starts at 11 AM. And so, we drove on... you need to take a right at the Marathahalli bridge (after Innovative Multiplex and its a bit of a roundabout right turn). Then go straight, you will cross the Shell petrol bunk, Lakeview Resort etc... Keep your eyes peeled for Royal Orchid Suites/Vaswani Pinnacle on the right. Once you see it, you need to take the left exactly opposite that. You will first see the sign board for Haveli parking and then this tiled gateway. 

A stone pathway flanked by a really green garden is what you will see. Stone benches are to your left and POP lions and panthers are on either side on the lawn. Am sure it looks better at nights. The cafe is right ahead and can seat around 25 people at a go. The menu is up on the black board and specials are written down on smaller boards strategically placed. If you are unsure of what to eat, look at the display which has most of the menu plated so you know what you get in your meal.  

And now for the food. To drink we decided to try out the Orange and Ginger Ice Tea. The glass was large and the hint of orange with cold tea was brilliant. I personally found the ginger a bit too strong, but Sudhakar loved it. For a starter we decided to share a Hummus with Brown Bread. An interesting twist to this dish. The hummus was smooth and tasted really good. Would have loved an extra dash of olive oil and perhaps some olives as well. This is perhaps the first time we have had hummus that was well portioned with the bread and the raw veggies. In almost every restaurant we have ended up ordering an extra circle of pita bread to finish the hummus. But here we didn't have to order anything extra and fill up unnecessarily. 

For junior we decided to order the pancakes with honey and butter. The pancakes am guessing were made from wheat and not maida and therefore were not all that fluffy. But nothing to fault taste. As usual junior had just one pancake and Sudhakar and I finished it very happily. Though maple syrup would have been welcome, honey is any day a healthier and really pleasant option. And the menu states very clearly what the accompaniments are, so its really a matter of choice. Sudhakar had the fish and chips. This came with french fries, a green tossed salad and a mayo dip. Two fish fillets, nicely browned and crisp on the outside and soft flesh on the inside. A plus was that it did not taste frozen at all, but all freshly made. A wedge of lime comes with the dish too.

I had a non-veg spaghetti in tomato sauce (there is also the option of white sauce). This sauce was really light and did not have the tangy tartness of packaged tomato puree. It was light and had broccoli, bell peppers, green olives and chicken tossed in it as well. I really enjoyed the dish and it is one of the few pastas where you won't get bored with the sauce in a few bites. Around this time we decided to order another ice tea in lemon. This too was really nice.

To round off, Sudhakar had a Cafe Latte and I wanted to go in for a cheesecake. Something called the Mexican Cheesecake looked pretty interested, but the staff told us this was not really set like a cake. So I opted for the Oreo Cheesecake which looked nice as well. Once we had the biscuit, we found that the dessert was more of an ice slush and not really set. We pointed that out to staff and he told us that it was something he did try to warn us about. The other desserts looked really inviting but by then junior decided that it was time to go for a walk. And so we wrapped up. It was nice of them not to charge us for the cheesecake. 

Overall, I felt that it was worth the drive. I can't compare it to any other place in Whitefield area since I have not visited any that side. But the food was good, so was the ambiance. The menu is a good mix and you can have a  brunch, lunch, dinner or satiate an evening hunger pang without going overboard. This meal cost us around Rs 900. The loo is a little distance away and past the renovation area with all the antique looking furniture, but fairly clean. Also its a great place for some nice photos.