by MARK SLUTSKY

As spring is sprung and the city comes to life again (at least until the next heartbreaking April snowfall), one's appetites tend to shift away from heavy, hibernation-friendly winter cooking towards lighter fare. Or at least mine do, as winter's extra insulating layer of fat becomes redundant.

One of the city's most summery little cafés, and a most relaxed spot to get yourself a light meal, is tucked away next to the Cinéma L'Amour on St-Laurent, just below Duluth. It would be easy to miss Café Hola - located as it is on an invariably crowded stretch of sidewalk and occupying a space roughly the size of a walk-in closet - were it not for the restaurant's bright and colourful visage and the Latin pop that streams out of its usually - weather permitting, of course - open door.

Inside is a comfortable spot that feels like a cross between a beach hut and a family cottage. Wood panelling lines the walls, and bright-coloured decorations abound, including one particularly large and intimidating parrot piñata. Bright-hued plastic fruit sits alongside the giant wooden bowls of the real thing that sit on the glass counter that dominates the café's space.

Yes, fruit is a big theme here, and Hola has earned a reputation for its abundant, tasty smoothies. At $4 a pop they're not cheap, but not totally unreasonable either. The fruit is invariably fresh, and there's a long list of ingredients to choose from; the success of your smoothie may very well depend on your selection skills (though the friendly staff are willing to suggest combinations). You've got (take a deep breath) raspberry, banana, mango, blueberry, pineapple, kiwi, strawberry, ginger, cantaloupe, watermelon, papaya, cucumber, celery, passion fruit, apples, oranges and more to go nuts with. I myself particularly enjoyed the banana-strawberry-blueberry and mango-raspberry variations. Choose either milk or water as your base (I much prefer the milk) and you get a creamy, sweet and healthy drink reminiscent of a good ice cream.

Hola's also got a nice short menu of tropical and tropical-inspired light eats, perfect breakfast and lunch fare. On the Mexican tip, there's a choice chicken or beef tacos and fajitas (both $6.99). Both come with rice, a fresh tomato, cucumber and bocconcini salad, guacamole, and a handful of corn chips. The guacamole, dotted with minutely cubed pieces of red pepper, was particularly delicious, and the bright-red salsa was tangy and spicy. I found the chicken in my tacos a little dry, but the beef tasted just fine. There's also a Mexican breakfast (huevos rancheros in spirit if not name) that's quite tasty too: a pair of fried eggs alongside tortillas, refried beans, guacamole and salsa, served with a generous banana-and-strawberry-heavy fruit salad and a coffee ($5.99).

If you're not in the mood for Mexican, go for one of the sandwiches ($4.50-$5.50 or $7.99 as a combo with soup or salad and a soda or coffee). Nothing too unusual here, just a solid list of the classics: turkey, salami, cheese, prosciutto, tuna, smoked salmon, egg and the like. They're done well, though, and I always appreciate a place that goes beyond the lettuce and tomato to include some alfalfa sprouts and cucumber in their sandwiches. You get a soup or salad with the combo, and I particularly enjoyed the savoury carrot soup, though with a smoothie on the side it was a bit too much liquid for my lunch and I couldn't finish either.

They're not starting a culinary revolution at Café Hola, but it's certainly one of the most pleasant lunch spots on the Main, and particularly nice in the summer, when the smoothies truly can't be beat. The service is friendly and casual (the waitress/sandwich maker/smoothie blender actually tried to tell me my 20 per cent tip was too generous - I've never seen that before, and I doubt I will ever again). Also offered is lunchtime delivery service, which, if you happen to work in the area, is a nice touch - call for details.

Questions? Comments? Hot tips? Drop a line at eattothebeat@gmail.com

Café Hola
ADDRESS: 4009 St-Laurent (just below Duluth)
PHONE: 288-9352
HOURS: 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
BEST FEATURES: Smoothies up the wazoo and the
friendly, colourful atmosphere.
ALCOHOL: No
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Yes
VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY: Yes
CREDIT CARDS: No
NO-SMOKING SECTION: Yes
PRICE: $5-$10 per person, before tax or tip
RATING: **1/2 out of ****