Amid the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the hum of curious chatter, CE caught up with Tarush Agarwal at Coffee Lab’s newest outpost in Sarath City Capital Mall, where the space feels more like a curious playground for coffee lovers than a café. Tucked inside the mall, the store has quickly found its rhythm, drawing in home brewers, baristas, and everyday coffee lovers who want to understand what’s in their cup and why it tastes the way it does.
Founded by Tarush along with Sarita Agarwal and Monika Korlapati, Coffee Lab was born from a simple thought: good coffee shouldn’t be intimidating. “We started Coffee Lab only a couple of years after we entered the café space because we wanted people to be better educated about coffee. Making a good cup of coffee requires both theory and practical knowledge, and that is exactly what we are trying to offer here. We want to educate people and give them an opportunity, to experience coffee, make it themselves, and try out tools before purchasing them. Buying anxiety and price anxiety are major concerns for Indians, especially with equipment. When people try it once, they should feel confident,” Tarush says.
The response, he says, has been overwhelming. “It has been quite crazy. Every day, we get hundreds of calls and texts. While walk-ins are not our main focus; we are seeing more people booking appointments for one-on-one sessions. From baristas and homebrewers to people of all ages coming in for training, workshops, and tastings, the response has been overwhelming, and we are just trying to manage it well,” Tarush adds.
From carefully brewed pour-overs to milk-based classics, the lab introduces people to flavours they may never have noticed before — nutty medium roasts with caramel sweetness, lightly acidic African beans with fruity notes, and smooth, chocolate-forward South American coffees. You will find it all here.
Beyond coffee education, the lab has also begun hosting curated dinner-style experiences and bar takeovers. The international coffee takeover saw an international roaster step behind the counter with beans from Panama, Africa, and South America. “It’s a lovely experience to try new beans for people who normally don’t get access to those things,” Tarush expresses.
A key focus at the lab is breaking the myth that coffee has to be bitter. “My take is that most people are not aware of how to brew coffee correctly, and even many coffee shop owners and baristas do not really know what they are doing. As a result, there is a misconception that coffee should always be bitter, which is a myth we are trying to break. A good cup of coffee should have acidity, sweetness, and bitterness in harmony. When we taste coffee, whether black, espresso, or with milk, we look for these elements to balance each other. Over-extraction, high water temperature, and lack of measurement increase bitterness. Making good coffee is about adjusting variables to create a palatable, enjoyable drink that gives energy without needing excess sugar,” he explains. During tastings, guests often realise they don’t need sugar when the coffee is brewed right, whether it’s a balanced espresso or a flat white with less milk that lets the bean shine through.
With demand growing and plans for collaborations across the city, Coffee Lab is already thinking beyond Hyderabad. Whether you walk in curious or already obsessed with coffee, you leave a little more informed, confident, and excited about what coffee you’re drinking next.