A small but significant development seems to have escaped the attention of the people of Shimla. There's a new cafe in town, everyone. I call this a significant development because any number of people in my circle of acquaintance have bemoaned the lack of places to go for a cuppa, where one could just sit and share a limberness of the mind, improving the appetite for conversation, refining thought and making extraordinary an average sentence maker!
Finally, Shimla has just such a place. Agreed it is early days yet. But something about the location of the Firestation Cafe and its gives me hope! Along with the mandatory walk to the Mall, the cuppa at Barista, or Indian Coffee House, or the chicken patty at Trishool, I look forward to it becoming a part of our daily ceremonials in Shimla. In my mind's eye, I see cafe-style debates and discussions on culture, politics, philosophy, science and cinema happening there.
This little place has been designed by the redoubtable Abha Narain Lambah. Abha has retained the ambience of the old fire station, using interesting objects and colours, whether its old fire helmets, fire buckets or even a small portable pump. Warm reds grace its walls, as do pictures from the illustrious past of its larger, historic neighbour, the Indian Institute of Advanced Study. At present, cafe can only offer you tea or coffee, but one hopes that with the passage of time, there will be more on offer - and not just in terms of eatables! The cafe also has on sale lovely picture postcards and an eclectic collection of books.
Cheers for the Firestation Cafe!
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1 comment:
I like the looks of this place.
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