Cino Setting
Hotels, particularly five star establishments, are notorious for charging exorbitant prices. Take for example, a serving of fish and chips. In any Auckland pub, you can get it for less than NZ
$15. If, however, you decide on the hotels, expect at least double.
One restaurant I went to, perched by the cliffs, on the road to Tamaki Drive facing the city, charged exactly that. I wasn’t paying for the food. I was paying for the views and service.
However, there are certain exceptions.
Chain stores are famous for being common and similar. A Starbucks in Singapore would be similar to a Starbucks in Kuala Lumpur or Sydney. There may be some variety and a few changes in the menu to suit the local clientele but overall, everything is made in a cookie cutter design. Same couches, same drinks, same uniform. Maybe a little differentiation but overall, the same ambience.
Why? My theory would be to provide some form of home or comfort for travellers who have grown accustomed to, say, Coffee Bean. They enjoy a double shot no cream soy latte every Friday afternoon. They travel to a different city. They still want to stick to their routine, providing themselves some form of familiarity.
Yet here, chain stores and hotels diverge. When I arrived in Sydney more than a year ago, I was craving for some form of coffee place; a nice small cosy spot. I have been accustomed to such creature comforts. The coffee, the nice baristas, the ambience.
Then one day I found the Hilton. I always noticed the building, but it was that one particularly day when I notice a small sign advertising their café. I went in.
I discovered Hilton Sydney’s Caffé Cino. Private, intimate and has an aura of exclusivity around it.
It is bright, open, comfortable and definitely does not have the corporate snobbery which I sometimes receive at any given Starbucks. The baristas are pleasant, helpful and cheery. The pastries are delicious, especially the custard Danish and chocolate friands. Their cakes are also worth mentioning.
However, their one cake which I love and will always try to obtain if it’s in the display fridge, would be their Chocolate Mud Cake. So far, it’s still off the menu. I’m still lobbying for its return. One way to describe it would be ‘orgasmic.’ The cheese cake they have as a regular serving is good substitute.
Coffee is good, especially the Mochas, as is the hot chocolate and wide selection of teas.
In addition to their cakes, their biscuits are also nice. Great place to meet up with friends for a cup of coffee, a meeting, a rendezvous, a date or just to laze around with a book. The simplicity of the layout, the open areas and the bright, sky-lit lobby provide much to the appeal.
Price wise, for the quality of their coffee, selection of cakes, service and ambience, this would be a steal. Coffees and pastries average at about $4. There are also salads and paninis, averaging at $9. There may be a Cino outlet in any Hilton around the world, from the Kuching Hilton to Park Lane Hilton but one thing I do know from experiencing four different Cinos: they’re all special and individual in character. Cheers!
