3
I came across Ringo on social media and decided to give it a shot.
The atmosphere is undoubtedly the highlight. The view overlooking The Trees is peaceful, and the cafe itself has a relaxed, laid-back vibe. where you can easily spend an afternoon with a book from their collection and a cup of coffee. If I happened to be in the area, I'd happily stop by for the ambience alone.
Unfortunately, the service left a lot to be desired.
When I ordered the Vietnamese coffee, I asked for the condensed milk to be served on the side. The staff member taking my order seemed oddly reluctant, and what should have been a simple request turned into an unnecessarily awkward interaction. After confirming that the condensed milk wasn't pre-blended, I requested it separately, only to receive a rather strange "as you wish" in response.
To make matters worse, the coffee itself had a burnt, slightly sour taste. It made me wonder whether the condensed milk was intended to mask the flavour. The cold brew, however, was excellent and easily the best drink we tried.
Another odd moment came when a staff member was walking around spraying air freshener while guests were eating. It wasn't a major issue, but it felt out of place in a cafe where aroma is such a big part of the experience.
We also experienced a surprisingly long wait for our order. Since this is a pay-first, order-at-the-counter setup and most of the menu consists of bakery items, the delay felt longer than expected. What made it more noticeable was seeing several customers who appeared to order after us receive their food much sooner.
Food-wise, we sampled quite a few items:
Crab Rangoon Roll (6/10)
The filling didn't quite work for us. It felt under-seasoned and lacked the flavour we were expecting.
Jerk Chicken Bun (7.5/10)
Our favourite item of the visit. The filling had great flavour and oddly reminded us of a spicy keema pav. The only downside was the bread-to-filling ratio.
Mulberry Danish (7/10)
This was one of the items we were most excited about. Visually it looked fantastic, but the filling leaned more towards whipped cream than the richer custard-like filling I was expecting. While pleasant enough, it felt lighter and less satisfying than anticipated
Double Chocolate Brioche (8/10)
Rich, indulgent, and hard to dislike if you're a chocolate lover.
Almond Croissant (6/10)
Too sweet and surprisingly dry, with a filling that felt a little off balance.
Egg Masala Puff (7/10)
A pleasant surprise. The flavours were well executed and it stood out more than expected.
Overall, Ringo is a beautiful cafe with a relaxing atmosphere and a strong cold brew, but the food didn't quite live up to the setting and the service felt oddly cold throughout the visit. I'd stop by again if I happened to be nearby, but I wouldn't make a special trip across Mumbai for it.
