Can't live without caffeine? Love alcohol? How about the perfect combination?

I am more of a tea person than a coffee person. Yet some of my closest friends just can't get through the day without their dose of coffee. Alcohol - that surely is something I love relishing. So when we heard of this place that has their unique combination of Specialty Alcoholic Coffees we decided to try this place out - I am talking about the Link Cafe at Sheraton, Hyderabad. Once you enter the place is made up really well with designer lights and a band playing. We had a warm welcome from the team - Smitha and Lokanath among them. We started off with the salads. The first one was the Greek Feta Salad. This was a combination of Feta, cucumber, tomato, iceberg, onion and crushed black pepper. The feta was fresh and the salad was crunchy and went well together.

The next salad was the Nicoise (pronounced as Ni-swa). This is a typical French salad that had its origins in the city of Nice. They made it exactly how it is supposed to be - with tuna, egg, anchovy, potato, tomato and lettuce.

We finished off the salads with the Caesar Salad which was a combination of Romaine, parmesan, extra virgin olive oil, anchovy and black pepper. Since they had anchovy you definitely need an acquired taste for this if you have never tried anchovy before.

Once we were done with the salads we decided to try out their coffees - both the specialty alcoholic ones as well as the non-alcoholic ones. But since I had already mentioned that I am a tea person I started off by ordering the Masala Chai which was served with jeera cookies. The Masala Chai had a strong flavor of cinnamon which was indicative by the cinnamon stick that they placed in the middle. In case you order this be sure to ask for sugar incase that is how you like it as this doesn't have any sweetener.

And then came along the coffees. The first alcoholic coffee that we tried out was the Piper Coffee. This was a combination of Whisky, Coffee and honey topped with cream.

The next one was the Espresso Martini. This one was a combination of Vodka, Espresso, Kahlua and Sugar - a combination that you simply cannot resist.

The last one among the alcoholic coffees that we tried was the Top of the World. This one is meant for people who love strong coffees. This was a combination of Vodka, Espresso and Hazelnut.

We also tried one of the non-alcoholic coffees which was the Cobnut Coffee. This was a combination of coffee with coconut milk. This was topped off with coconut shredding as well.

Now it was time for starters. We started up with the Kothu Paratha - this is a very famous delicacy in Tamil Nadu which initially started in Salem. The parantha and the chicken get minced completely. I have lived in Chennai for almost a decade and hence have tried many versions of this dish but the one I tasted here was simply mesmerizing and reminded me of the Lays' ad - No one can eat just once.

Next was the Cocktail Dal Vada which essentially is the normal Dal Vaada. This was crunchy and fresh and went well with the chutney.

Next was the Prawn Koliwada where the prawns were marinated and deep fried and then served with mint and black pepper chutney. Although the prawns were slightly bland I would say they tasted well.

Then was the turn of the kebab platters. We started off with the Veg kebab Platter - this had paneer tikka, veg cutlets, corn cutlets and veg kebabs. The best of out these was the corn cutlet which was very flavorful.

Post that we tried the non-vegetarian kebab platter. This had mutton sheekh kebab, chicken tikka, chicken malai kebab, fish kebab and prawn kebabs. The mutton sheekh kebab was cooked really well with a good blend of spices. The fish kebab was soft while the prawn kebab was grilled.

The next section was the sandwiches where we started off with the Mumbai Masala toastie. This sandwich had toasted bread while the filling was beetroot, bell peppers, potato, mint chutney and onion.

Next we tried the Double Decker Sandwich - for this you can choose to either have the white bread or the brown bread. This is a 2 layered sandwich that is stuffed with lettuce, grilled chicken, bacon, ham, cheese and fried egg.

Finally we tried their signature Link Sandwich. The bread in this is masala Ciabatta. The stuffing was masala omlette, chicken malai and onion served with raisin chutney.

Next up were the Old Delhi Kathi Kebabs - we tried out both the Paneer Tikka as well as the Chicken Tikka. The base was lachha roomali paratha that was stuffed with Paneer/Chicken Tikka and sliced onion. This was served with curd and mint chutney. This I felt was too greasy.

Then we tried out the Baked Masala Maggi - this was loaded with cheddar cheese and was just the right taste. After all who doesn't like maggi.

It was then the turn of Pizzas. We started off with the Pepperoni Pizza. I felt the quantity if Pepperoni was quite less. All slices just had a single piece while a slice didn't have any at all. Hence you couldn't enjoy the Pepperoni flavor throughout.

Then we tried the Chicken Tikka Pizza. This was much better and had a constant flavor of shredded chicken tikka and fried onions and bell peppers.

We ended off with desserts which though are not listed on the menu. We started off with the salted caramel cheesecake. I didn't feel the salty taste and the caramel also had a very thin layer at the bottom so even that flavor wasn't strong enough.

Next was the chocolate moose which was made really well.

Lastly was the chocolate cake with coconut shaving which not only looked well but tasted well as well.

Overall - I would definitely suggest this place for their Specialty alcoholic coffees. Ambience: 4.8/5 Service: 4.8/5 Food:4/5

Want to get drinks at MRP? Head on to Madhapur!

MRP - as the name suggests surely is quirky and you might be wondering why such a name? They have their pitchers which are actually sold at MRP and quite a few of their drinks are sold at MRP as well and hence the name. This off course is a cool and happening place with the young crowd and amazing music. I must say their dance floor is not too big and yet you will find people dancing to the latest hits after being high on their drinks. Their walls are filled with quirky quotes and witty paintings that add to the charm of the place.

Now let me start with the drinks. We ordered some cocktails and a few mocktails. I started off with the Cosmopolitan which is my all time favorite cocktail. It was served in a cute little packet as opposed to the glasses in other places. It was made really well as well.

Next I tried the Mango Candy Margarita. This was a mocktail that I did not try before in any other place. This was a mix of Thai Chilli, Lime and Mango Candy. We were also served gummy bears on the side.

Next I tried the Caprioska which is again a cocktail that you don't usually find here. This was a Vodka based drink added with lime and a sweet syrup. Overall the blend went really well together.

While we were enjoying the drinks we were also served cashews which is little rare. The cashews were coated with mild spices and very crunchy.

By this time we decided to order the food as well since we were all starving after a long day at work. We started by ordering the Chicken Spring rolls. They were made really well with the perfectly cooked chicken keema inside.

Post that we ordered the Chicken Nachos. The dish not only tasted yumm but was also very colorful to look at. The Nachos had ample quantity of Chicken and Cheese and the sauce was too good.

We also ordered Chicken Wraps for the ones who wanted slightly heavier food.

Next in was the Chicken Tikka Pizza. The crust was perfectly done - thin and crunchy and just how I like it. The flavors were mild and well went with the pizza.

By this time we had downed all our drinks and decided to get something from their signature pitchers. We ordered the Micheleda since most of us were beer fans. The Micheleda has 4 beer bottles turned upside down into a terracotta pan so that half of the beer has poured into the vessel and the rest is still in the bottles. The beer in the vessel is then mixed with oranges, tomatoes, lime and Tabasco and then served.

We then got served chicken pakodas. They were really crunchy and felt like the home made pakodas. You can easily finish a whole plate in a jiffy.

Their menu also has a section on Vinoctails. As the name suggests it is Vine + Cocktails which are the Wine Cocktails and again was something unique here. From this I first ordered the Beelini which was the Sparkling Wine.

Post that I ordered the Litchi Sangria Bianco. I have tried Sangria before and Litchi is one of my favorite flavors. I was pretty skeptical though as to how this combination would go. I was pleasantly surprised. The Sangria was blended with the Litchi flavor and it tasted really good.

Parallely in the mocktail we ordered the Virgin Cucumber Fizz. This drink is prepared from chilled cucumber, roasted cumin, 7up and soda. Although the combination may sound pretty quirky the drink actually tastes good.

We then tried out the Kamikaze shots. They were spicy and we all were high after having them.

Going back to the food, again the Chilly Chicken was delicious and was presented really well.

We were also served Chicken Momos with 3 different sauces. The Momos were melt in the mouth with heavy portions on chicken. The sauces went well with the Momos.

Then came the Cheese Balls. I have had Cheese Balls at many places but these were loaded with cheese and you will absolutely love them if you love cheese.

Lastly we had the mutton chops. They were flavored well with different spices.

For desserts we had brownies and Cheesecakes. Both were classics and prepared exactly the same.

Overall: Ambience: 4.5/5 Service: 4.5/5 Food:4/5. If you want to get drinks at a cheaper price then this is a must visit, but they can definitely improve on the variety of drinks which are quite a lot in many other places in the vicinity.

New Bar in town - Free Flow, the Traffic Bar at HITEC City Junction, Hyderabad

The Free Flow Traffic Bar opened up just a few days back and we decided to try it out and experience what it has to offer. We went there on a weekday for dinner. The place is beautifully themed where there are railway coach seats on one side and you actually get the feeling of being inside a train surrounded by platforms. On the ground floor you have live music playing which is also at times alternated with songs by the DJ. Finally the starters came in.

The Fried Chicken Dimsums were delicious and made to perfection. The sauces that were served went along with it very well.

Then we were served the Thai Grilled Prawns. These were coated with a burnt sauce. This was very mildly spiced which enhanced the natural flavor of the prawns.

We also tried a couple of mock-tails which were decent but the ice tea was really good with the perfect balance of sweetness and the flavor of the tea.

We then tried the Pizzas. We tried two varieties - the Lamb pepperoni Pizza and the Barbecue beef tenderloin pizza. Both were really good and flavorsome. They had a thin base which is how I like it and were cooked to perfection.

Then we tried 2 varieties of burgers - Barbecue chicken burger and California beef burger. Since I personally prefer beef I absolutely loved the second one. The beef patty was cooked well and was juicy with ample cheese. The burger overall was really heavy and quite filling.

Coming to the mains we started off with the Moroccan spiced grilled chicken steak. The chicken was mildly spiced as opposed to the name but was tender and went absolutely well with the mashed potatoes. The presentation was also well done.

Next was the Prawn Piri Piri and again the presentation was really appetizing.

Next was the beef tenderloin steak which was medium rare. It was a very wholesome chunk and very flavorful.

The Lamb Shank was presented well and tasted well. They had the right amount of spices and was very well balanced.

For desserts we had Walnut brownie with ice cream and Mango caramel custard. The icecream was good though more on the sweeter side. The Mango caramel custard was the first time I tried the flavored caramel custard which was a mesmerizing blend of alphonso mangoes along with the caramel custard. The staff were really welcomed and adhered to all our requests very promptly. Special mention to Sai, Ravi and Bhaskar. This place is definitely a must visit.