Lavinier Coffee & Bistro, Publika, Solaris Dutamas. A Cozy Corner for Yugoslavian & Mediterranean Food

Lavinier Coffee & Bistro

Chef Sammy

Do you want to go for a cuppa and Yugoslavian food for lunch? for a change hmm… why not let’s go. One afternoon we had lunch at Lavinier Coffee & Bistro at Publika, Solaris Dutamas. A café that is tucked at a corner and this cozy cafe just exudes with warmth coming not only from the sunlight but also from their friendly staff.

The layout is simple and comfortable, quiet yet not totally bereft of human presence. The cafe also offers free Wi-fi, an added service that is appreciated by many these days. It is also a great place to hang out or to while away the afternoon.

This feeling was further reaffirmed when we were greeted by Anoo (pronounced Ah Noh). Anoo graciously answered all of our questions regarding the cafe’s background, what are the cafe’s best-selling dishes and the concept of Lavinier Coffee & Bistro. The cafe serves authentic Mediterranean food from Yugoslavia, Greece and Montenegro. Most of the food that is served on the menu is Bosnian and Croatian dishes, cooked up by the cafe’s head chef, Chef Sammy.

Lavinier’s Bruschetta a lia Italian

My friend and I started off with Lavinier’s Bruschetta a lia Italian. This appetiser was simply delicious, fresh tomatoes, lots of cheese and fresh basil made it filling yet light on the palate.

Tramuntana Pizza

Our second dish was the Tramuntana Pizza, hand tossed pizza. This pizza is a combination of two different toppings; chicken sausage on one side and olives, onions and tomatoes on the other with a perfectly cooked egg done sunny side up right at the centre. I took my fork and poke the eye yolk gonna be a bit messy coz the egg yolk dripping off hehehe. The dough’s texture is just nice not too chewy, thin crust and neither is it lacking of taste.

Burek

My friend ordered a Burek just to try it out. Burek is a type of meat pie made out of minced beef meat, onions and spices and wrapped in thin and flaky dough known as filo pastry. I skip Burek because I don’t eat beef. The chef uses local ‘popiah’ skin instead so is thin n crunchy. According to my friend, the outer layers of the pie do not crumble and stays crunchy. The beef is fragrant and is not overpowered by the spices. The coolness of the dipping sauce together with the tanginess of the salad provides a wholesome balance to eat mouthful.

Cevapi Sarajevo

I polished off most of the pizza. My friend who is a bigger eater than me had Burek pie and then Cevapi Sarajevo. The Cevapi is a grilled meat dish made of beef and served with flatbread and chopped onions and ajvar.

Each serving comes with 7 pieces of delicate beef served with home-made burger, chopped onions and ajvar with a side of French fries and salad. He said that the meat was quite tender but spices were a bit too overpowering for him. If you are wondering how the ajvar taste likes, it is not as spicy as it looks and taste a bit like bell pepper.

Caramel Latte

Oppsss, i took a sip then only remember I have not take picture yet. Of course, we must not miss our coffee, Lavinier Coffee & Bistro also serves decent good and strong coffee. The barista prepared a cup of Caramel Latte and a single shot of Macchiato for us. This is one of the good Caramel Latte that I have ever tried. It is smooth and flavourful, with just the right amount of milk to make it creamy.

The Macchiato gives a true kick for the whole day, it is strong, rich and bold. If you are into strong coffee then this is ok. If not you might feel your heart beat faster than normal. There are many more dishes and coffee that I would like to try on my next trip. The place also serves bottled liquor and cocktails.

What are the things that make any cafe or bistro a hit among their patrons? Of course, good food and great service tops the list of attributes that make or break a cafe. Location and price are two more factors which largely contribute to the makings of a successful bistro. Other determinants such as ambience also play an important part.