Cafe & Etc. by Kloset is going for an eccentric, English country cottage vibe with its sky blue walls and quirky illustrations ranging from faux pantry shelves to mock palace gardens. It is after all an off-shoot of fashion label Kloset, whose owner Mollika Ruangkritya likes to blend eccentric and vintage themes. The overall effect is lovely, with the two-story building offering a very cozy and welcoming ambience. The menu has some hearty, comforting international dishes like the cottage pie alongside some Thai and fusion dishes. Unfortunately the inter dishes don’t work quite as well as the décor. The “super tender” beef stew with rice (B280), while OK, isn’t quite as tender as the name claims and the actual stew, while well seasoned, isn’t quite as thick as we’d expect. We’d also really rather have some more traditional mash than steamed rice to sop up the sauce. Though it seems like a very popular dish, the spaghetti sai-oa rod nua (spaghetti with Northern style spicy sausage and basil, B220) is also slightly disappointing. The spaghetti is bland and salty while the sai-oa is spicy, and the whole thing is way too dry. The good news is that their yam and laab (Thai-style salads and minced meat dishes) work much better: the laab pan-fried salmon (B220) is full-flavored and aromatic and the yam kana Hong Kong goong fu (spicy Chinese kale salad with crispy shrimp, B170) comes with a delicious sauce that manages to be perfectly sweet, sour and salty. The highlight for us has to be their chicken massaman curry served with rice (B200)—despite the price tag—thanks to the well-balanced curry sauce and the large but super tender chicken pieces that melt in your mouth. We also love the crunchy peanuts in the thick coconut sauce. So while the inter dishes may fail to match the quaint décor, and the price might be a little on the high side (though it is on Ekkamai after all), good service and a charming atmosphere make this a lovely spot for a long lunch or a relaxing, lazy dinner.