Cafe Barbera, Bangsar (revisit)

Cafe Barbera left a good impression on me during my first visit, and it is now my favourite place to have coffee. Service was friendly. The staff always had a smile on their face. In less than a week, I noticed some improvement in their coffee and food. The cappuccino shakerato (RM9.50) was more of a pretty drink but didn’t deliver the coffee kick I was looking for. I prefer my coffee to be slightly bitter. Roma (RM10.50) was a lot sweeter and tasted more like a chocolate drink to me. I think I’ll stick to the Cappuccino Italiano (RM8.50) from now on. It was better prepared (smoother) this time around, with a simple coffee art finish. Espresso Freddo(RM9.50) was thick, dark and sweet. It could have been less sweet, but on a whole, I liked it. The butter croissant (RM6.50) was simple, comfort food that went well with my coffee(s).As usual, the greedy girl (Shum) had her tomato & cheese pizza (RM18), and I shamelessly nicked two slices from her. Since H was there with us, we ordered a mushroom & cheese pizza (RM20) as well. This was tastier than the tomato & cheese pizza. The addition of pesto on top of the pizza was ingenious; it was nutty, aromatic and complemented the pizza toppings. Aglio olio spaghetti (RM20) was not bad but it was such a small portion. The prawns were firm and succulent, and the sundried tomatoes gave the pasta a tart and sweet flavour. I liked this, but only as a snack. It was much too small to act as a main course. I spied more cakes at the display counter, and decided to try the Tiramisu Cake (RM13). This was a homemade version, there for a trial run. Cafe Barbera should replace their tiramisu with this. Light, creamy and with a hint of coffee, it was more of a “pick-me-up” compared to their house version. The peanut butter chocolate cake (RM13) didn’t fare as well. It was too dry and dense. The creamy peanut butter filling wasn’t much of a saving grace. It was however, a good attempt in widening their cake selection.

My experiences at Cafe Barbera were pleasant, so far. The coffees are one of the better ones around (just stick to the basics) and it’s so nearby my place!