iHeart Café Himalayas | Uttarakhand

iHeart Cafe - Outside
iHeart Cafe - Outside
iHeart Cafe – Outside

Just two months old, iHeart Café is the new cool hangout place in Mehragaon near Bhimtal, serving a slice of city life in the mountains. 

While on my way to The White Peaks homestay, I had noticed innumerable resorts, hotels and cafés on the way. However, one café in particular had caught my fancy – iHeart Café. An old cottage style structure, located slightly off the main grid, on the main road to Bhowali from Bhimtal. As we were just whizzing past in the cab, I saw a group of people sitting and gorging over shakes and eatables. From the outside, it seemed like a nice place to chill.

After spending a couple of days, immersed in the beauty of nature and the deliciousness of home-style food at our home stay, we were headed back to Kathgodam station. However, we needed to get some food packed for our journey and that’s when we thought of stopping at iHeart Café.

As soon as I entered the café, I was mighty impressed with the interiors, made with recycled wood. The huge glass windows let in beams of warm sunshine. The beautiful menu board and a dessert counter, reminded me of Shambhala in Dharamsala. But unlike most cafés in mountains, this café had sourced its entire cutlery from Delhi, which gave it a completely modern look and vibe. Think Mason Jars and beautiful platters, they had it all!

A brainchild of Tim Sebastian, an American traveller settled in India for the last 11 years, iHeart Cafe is just 2 months old. Not only, did Tim do the amazing interiors, he also designed the menu comprising of Shakes, Muffins, Tea Cakes, Sandwiches, Pastas and Pizzas. The great variety of Tea and Coffee is something to reckon with. Perhaps this might be the only café in the area, serving such wide range of coffee.

However, to our dismay, we had very little time at hand and couldn’t afford to sit back and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee. So, we quickly had a bit of Lemon Cake. It was was a bit dry (in texture) but flavorsome nonetheless. We also requested Toni (the Manager) to prepare a Club Sandwich and a Veg Grilled Sandwich with extra cheese, for take away. Meanwhile, I sat down with Tim for a quick chat. He was witty and had a cheeky sense of humour. He proudly spoke about the Open Mic Nights organized at the café. The garden area is used for music, comic gigs and book-reading sessions.

Our food was ready and it was time to leave.

We weren’t really looking forward to the food served in Shatabdi, especially after having such scrumptious meals at The White Peaks. So, as soon as we took our seats in the train, we opened our sandwich boxes.

The Veg Grilled Sandwich had lots of cheese, tomato and cucumber. The bread on the outside was toasted in butter. I always love eating such indulgent sandwiches. Buttery, cheesy and gooey, these sandwiches are the perfect way to happiness. The fries had become a bit soggy, but tasted good nevertheless.

The Clubhouse Sandwich was also really delicious. I loved the toasted bread, ham and sunny side up along with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise. Although, there was no bacon, I didn’t really miss it, as I am not a huge fan anyway (don’t hate me for saying this). I don’t like ketchup either, but the fact that Gurjas didn’t look for any other sauce, is a huge testimony to the deliciousness of the sandwiches. They were accompanied by Masala Fries, which were equally tasty.

Soon after I had finished eating my sandwich, I wondered to myself, what if, like my companions, I had also slept and missed spotting the café? Well, I guess I was just ‘destined to eat’ from here.

Someday, I would like to go back. I would just sit there and hear out Tim’s travel stories. And obviously indulge in some pasta over some soothing music, filling up the serene environs of iHeart Cafe.

Address: Mehragaon, Mehra Estate, Nainital, Uttarakhand.

Contact: +91 8762436640.


In a nutshell:

Location: Easy to spot, as it’s bang on the main road from Bhimtal to Bhowali.

Atmosphere: An old style cottage made out of recycled wood. Huge glass panes, lawn seating, good music and a happy cheerful vibe.

Service: Tim & Toni, both are friendly, however, their staff still needs basic training.

Food: For the kind of place it is located at, they have some fancy stuff on offer – Sandwiches, Tea-Muffins, Pastries, Pastas, Pizzas and Coffee and Tea.

Must Haves: Clubhouse Sandwich, Grilled Cheese Sandwich.

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