Phase V, DHA, is fast becoming a favourite location for new eating outlets, next only to MM Alam Road/Mehmood Ali Kasuri Rd. Hence it isn’t surprising that Caffé Royale, one of London’s best known coffee houses, should open its branch there.

A seven-storey building, the café is a gorgeous sight to behold from outside itself. Enter the place and you find there is a designated, conceptual theme for each floor. The cigar and smoke-free lounges aside, there is a basement which is ideally suited for jamming and live singing, birthday parties, karaoke and open mic nights that are going to be introduced soon.

The ground floor has the bakery section with multiple coffee machines turning out Caffé Royal’s specialty for its customers. There is live kitchen also.

The maisonette floor, or the readers’ lounge, is a quiet space where the book lovers can have a whale of a time, while the top floor is a colourful venue for gaming. It also has snooker and pool tables.

According to Aatif Chaudhry, owner and managing director, Caffé Royale, the Londoners’ concept of a coffee house is different; it’s a fuss-free environment that entails the use of a single helper and a self-service counter. "It’s quite the contrary in Pakistan," he told me when I went to visit the newly opened café.

It is interesting to note that the menu has been customised to suit the Pakistani market demands. Chaudhry, who is running six branches of the café in London, says its "specialty is the hot and cold offerings that include smoothie syrups, hot chocolate toppings and our beans imported from the UK. These are distinctively different in taste and flavour."

From espresso shots to your typical Americano and mocha flavoured coffees, there is hot chocolate in every conceivable drink. The café has certainly experimented with blends and offers chili hot chocolate, almond latte, iced mocha, coffee chillers, thick shakes and frozen fruit smoothies.

The sight and smell of classic hot chocolate is hard to resist. I for one gave in to the overpowering temptation and ended up having it. The younger lot around me was gladly gulping down salted caramel shortcake freezer and cookies ‘n’ cream.

I skipped the salads and soups to try from the main course and, must say, I wasn’t disappointed at all. Fried stuffed chicken came hot and crispy, served with jalapeno sauce and sautéed vegetables. This was one of the best I had on my visit.

European-style grilled artichoke fish with side potatoes (a global favourite entrée) is another must-try.

Caffé Royale, Lahore, offers a large variety of burgers made with a blend of sauces and marination which you can give a try if you aren’t in a mood to indulge in pizzas and seafood. Grilled chicken black pepper steak turned out to be a tad too dry for my liking but it had creamy sauce that salvaged the pride of the dish.

The café has a live baking area and a delightful confectionery on display. I skipped the desserts part lest the shakes wouldn’t satisfy my sugar craving, but I did take bites of the cheese and chocolate cake each. And, my, I was completely won over.