Pune in western India has a dining scene to rival many international cities. Boasting a wide range of cultural restaurants, the city offers diners pan-Asian cuisine, world-fusion gastronomy and Italian cooking, as well as traditional maharashta dishes. On top of world-class international cuisine, Pune’s most famous culinary experience, the traditional ‘sizzler’ restaurant, is a must-do for tourists and locals alike. Here are 10 of the best places to eat out in Pune.
Baan Tao
Also offering pan-Asian cuisine,Baan Tao in the Hyatt Hotel is particularly loved for Chinese and Thai food, cooked to perfection by one of the best Thai chefs in town. Particularly recommended are the crunchy papaya salad and the sweet tamarind-cooked fish. The dining areas are also themed into a peaceful tea lounge with a gentle waterfall, Thai pavilions around tranquil oases, and intimate Chinese pavilions for romantic hideaways.Every Thursday the restaurant transforms into an Asian street food festival, where guests can sample delights such as dim sum parcels and shabu shabu Japanese hot pots.
Baan Tao, Hyatt, Adjacent to Aga Khan Palace, Pune Nagar Rd, Nilanjali Housing Colony, Kalyani Nagar, Pune, Maharashtra, India, +91 20 4141 8840
Also offering pan-Asian cuisine,Baan Tao in the Hyatt Hotel is particularly loved for Chinese and Thai food, cooked to perfection by one of the best Thai chefs in town. Particularly recommended are the crunchy papaya salad and the sweet tamarind-cooked fish. The dining areas are also themed into a peaceful tea lounge with a gentle waterfall, Thai pavilions around tranquil oases, and intimate Chinese pavilions for romantic hideaways.Every Thursday the restaurant transforms into an Asian street food festival, where guests can sample delights such as dim sum parcels and shabu shabu Japanese hot pots.
Baan Tao, Hyatt, Adjacent to Aga Khan Palace, Pune Nagar Rd, Nilanjali Housing Colony, Kalyani Nagar, Pune, Maharashtra, India, +91 20 4141 8840
Bounty’s
Sizzlers are a breed of restaurant unique to Pune, offering beef, fish and vegetables cooked on hot iron griddles and served with various sauces and spices. Of all the sizzlers in town, the small family-owned Parsi community restaurants are favourites with a generation of youngsters looking for a quick and tasty meal and, amongst these, Bounty’s is best-loved with this local contingent. Service is brisk but efficient and décor is best described as functional — a far cry from the hotel restaurants popular with expats for their beautiful aesthetic and doting waiters. The food, however, more than redeems the joint, as it is deservedly reputed as the best in town. Whilst their versions of beef sizzlers (cordon bleu and steak) are known as the specialities, the chicken options come particularly recommended.
Bounty’s, Shop No. 14/15, Landmark Garden, Kalyani Nagar, Pune, Maharashtra, India, +91 20 2661 3360
Sizzlers are a breed of restaurant unique to Pune, offering beef, fish and vegetables cooked on hot iron griddles and served with various sauces and spices. Of all the sizzlers in town, the small family-owned Parsi community restaurants are favourites with a generation of youngsters looking for a quick and tasty meal and, amongst these, Bounty’s is best-loved with this local contingent. Service is brisk but efficient and décor is best described as functional — a far cry from the hotel restaurants popular with expats for their beautiful aesthetic and doting waiters. The food, however, more than redeems the joint, as it is deservedly reputed as the best in town. Whilst their versions of beef sizzlers (cordon bleu and steak) are known as the specialities, the chicken options come particularly recommended.
Bounty’s, Shop No. 14/15, Landmark Garden, Kalyani Nagar, Pune, Maharashtra, India, +91 20 2661 3360
Malaka Spice
One of the most celebrated dining destinations in the city,Malaka Spice is bursting with innovation and creativity. Many of the fresh and unusual menu options are stamped with one of two distinctions: ‘A Chef Cheeru Original’, a unique fusion dish designed by celebrity Chef Cheeru; and ‘Inspired not Imitated’, a traditional dish that has been modernised with Chef Cheeru’s signature twist. The range on offer is equally as exciting, with a ‘street food’ area of the restaurant serving favourites such as vegetable and meat satay. More intricate Asian-fusion dishes from Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Burma are served in the expansive dining room and al fresco areas. The complex also houses an esteemed art gallery that has represented over 200 artists, and hosts a caricature artist who sketches portraits as guests enjoy their indulgent feast.
Malaka Spice, Opposite Oxford Properties, Lane Number 5, Meera Nagar, Koregaon Park, Pune, Maharashtra, India, +91 20 2615 1088
One of the most celebrated dining destinations in the city,Malaka Spice is bursting with innovation and creativity. Many of the fresh and unusual menu options are stamped with one of two distinctions: ‘A Chef Cheeru Original’, a unique fusion dish designed by celebrity Chef Cheeru; and ‘Inspired not Imitated’, a traditional dish that has been modernised with Chef Cheeru’s signature twist. The range on offer is equally as exciting, with a ‘street food’ area of the restaurant serving favourites such as vegetable and meat satay. More intricate Asian-fusion dishes from Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Burma are served in the expansive dining room and al fresco areas. The complex also houses an esteemed art gallery that has represented over 200 artists, and hosts a caricature artist who sketches portraits as guests enjoy their indulgent feast.
Malaka Spice, Opposite Oxford Properties, Lane Number 5, Meera Nagar, Koregaon Park, Pune, Maharashtra, India, +91 20 2615 1088
Paprika Hot Rock
A new take on traditional sizzlers, Paprika Hot Rocks invites guests to cook their own food at their table, on hot volcanic rocks. Though this ‘concept cooking’ restaurant risks reducing its service to a mere gimmick, it in fact successfully delivers a sophisticated and exciting experience, completed by tasteful décor, low lighting and artisan bamboo furniture. The menu is a Mediterranean and Lebanese fusion, offering mezze platters, fresh breads and vegetable antipasti to start. The smoking dishes really take pride of place as the mains, served with tasty sides to complement the spiced grilled meats. Fresh fruits and homemade chocolates are also provided between courses and after the main is finished. The perfectly prepared food, coupled with friendly and helpful service, make for a wonderful new dining experience in Pune.
Paprika Hot Rock, City Tower, Boat Club Road, Boat Club Rd, Sangamvadi, Pune, Maharashtra, India, +91 20 6600 9754
A new take on traditional sizzlers, Paprika Hot Rocks invites guests to cook their own food at their table, on hot volcanic rocks. Though this ‘concept cooking’ restaurant risks reducing its service to a mere gimmick, it in fact successfully delivers a sophisticated and exciting experience, completed by tasteful décor, low lighting and artisan bamboo furniture. The menu is a Mediterranean and Lebanese fusion, offering mezze platters, fresh breads and vegetable antipasti to start. The smoking dishes really take pride of place as the mains, served with tasty sides to complement the spiced grilled meats. Fresh fruits and homemade chocolates are also provided between courses and after the main is finished. The perfectly prepared food, coupled with friendly and helpful service, make for a wonderful new dining experience in Pune.
Paprika Hot Rock, City Tower, Boat Club Road, Boat Club Rd, Sangamvadi, Pune, Maharashtra, India, +91 20 6600 9754
Sen5es
It’s easy to understand why Sen5es is so popular with the expat community, since it specialises in the highest quality world cuisine, served up in a comfortable and modern setting. Open kitchens overlook the wide dining room, gleaming wooden floors and sheer glass panels reflect the decorative fires lit as evening descends. Amongst the favourite dishes are the hearty rustic tomato and basil soup, the deliciously fresh caesar salad (a rarity anywhere in India), lightly battered fish and chips, and the juicy American T-bone steak. The patrons are smartly dressed and the atmosphere elegant and indulgent, with an array of over 100 alcoholic beverages, including top quality wine and cocktail innovations.
Sen5es, 81, Mundhwa Koregaon Park, Pingale Wasti, Koregaon Park Annexe, Mundhwa, Pune, Maharashtra, India +91 20 4146 4111
Fish Curry Rice
Fish Curry Rice does exactly what the name implies, and then some. Relatively new on the scene, it quickly gained a reputation for its variety and quality of perfectly fresh, Maharashta style seafood. Unsurprisingly then, the restaurant is almost always packed out, with guests delighting in such traditional coastal dishes as tisrey (baby clams), bangda (mackerel), and an exhaustive range of masala fish curries and fries. All the passion and heart here has gone straight into the food; the setting and atmosphere is clean and simple but you won’t find the experience lacking by any means, as the regular guests will testify.
Fish Curry Rice, Gangadhar Apartment, 586, NC Kelkar, Bhatancha Bol, Narayan Peth, Pune, Maharashtra, India, +91 20 6401 1082
Prego
This upscale Italian is renowned as one of the most authentic in the city, serving contemporary Italian cuisine including wood-fired pizzas, oven-baked lasagne, mix-and-match pastas with varieties of fresh sauces, and succulent meat dishes. Based in the sophisticated Westin Hotel, Prego’s service and décor are as refined as is to be expected from the franchise, who are greatly experienced in the art of fine dining. At the end of the meal the coffees and rich desserts leave nothing to be desired, with perfectly-presented and balanced sweet treats.
Prego, 36/3-B ,The Westin, Access Rd, Koregaon Park Annexe, Mundhwa, Pune, Maharashtra, India, +91 20 6721 0000
Paasha
Yet another hotel restaurant, Paasha is worth mention for its rooftop views alone, which are nothing short of spectacular. Whilst the balcony dining area provides breathtaking panoramas of the city, the interior décor matches the dazzle, with magnificent chandeliers hanging from high ceilings and an abundance of glass and mirrors creating a sparkling reflective ambience. Visitors have been known to spend long evenings here sipping smooth cocktails against a background of easy-listening live music. And this is all of course, without mentioning the food, which includes some of the best northern Indian kebabs, daals and curries in Pune.
Paasha, JW Marriott Hotel, Senapati Bapat Rd, Durga Nagar, Model Colony, Shivaji Nagar, Pune, Maharashtra 411016, India, +91 20 6683 2355
Harajuku
Proud to have realised the first ‘interactive open kitchen’, Harajuku Japanese restaurant in the O Hotel offers guests sushi, sashimi and teppenyaki counters, functioning as a buffet with the added benefit of ordering directly from the chefs. The food is simply outstanding in both breadth and detail, from the sushi rolls served with sauces and spices to the lunchtime bento boxes, containing an aromatic cooked main accompanied by tempura, Japanese salad, 6 sushi rolls, and a sweet dessert. This is Japanese cuisine at its most indulgent, where the freshest ingredients make for a range of both light and hearty meals, depending on preference. The only exclusively Japanese restaurant in Pune, the restaurant is decked out to provide the most elegant and unique experience, with bold red walls, plush upholstery, and sparkling chandeliers, all complimenting the food that competes with any sushi bar around the world.
Harajuku, The O Hotel,501, Kensington Court, 5th Lane, North Main Road, Koregaon Park, Pune, Maharashtra 411001, India, +91 20 4001 1000
Vaishali
Confusingly namedas a hotel, as many Indian restaurants are apt to do, Vaishali is basic food joint standing in welcome contrast to the expensive hotel restaurants in the city. The humble traditional South Indian eatery is no less loved than the more sophisticated options, and is in fact a particular favourite with the thriving student community. Also popular with locals, expats and tourists, Vaishali delights with the very best dosas, idlis and uttapams cooked by the experienced staff. The restaurant won’t take reservations, and yet is somehow always brimming with those lucky enough to arrive in perfect time to grab a table, including local celebrities who have made this their favourite daytime haunt.
Vaishali, Fergusson College Rd, Fergusson College Campus, Shivaji Nagar, Pune, Maharashtra 411004, India, +91 20 2553 1244
This upscale Italian is renowned as one of the most authentic in the city, serving contemporary Italian cuisine including wood-fired pizzas, oven-baked lasagne, mix-and-match pastas with varieties of fresh sauces, and succulent meat dishes. Based in the sophisticated Westin Hotel, Prego’s service and décor are as refined as is to be expected from the franchise, who are greatly experienced in the art of fine dining. At the end of the meal the coffees and rich desserts leave nothing to be desired, with perfectly-presented and balanced sweet treats.
Prego, 36/3-B ,The Westin, Access Rd, Koregaon Park Annexe, Mundhwa, Pune, Maharashtra, India, +91 20 6721 0000
Paasha
Yet another hotel restaurant, Paasha is worth mention for its rooftop views alone, which are nothing short of spectacular. Whilst the balcony dining area provides breathtaking panoramas of the city, the interior décor matches the dazzle, with magnificent chandeliers hanging from high ceilings and an abundance of glass and mirrors creating a sparkling reflective ambience. Visitors have been known to spend long evenings here sipping smooth cocktails against a background of easy-listening live music. And this is all of course, without mentioning the food, which includes some of the best northern Indian kebabs, daals and curries in Pune.
Paasha, JW Marriott Hotel, Senapati Bapat Rd, Durga Nagar, Model Colony, Shivaji Nagar, Pune, Maharashtra 411016, India, +91 20 6683 2355
Harajuku
Proud to have realised the first ‘interactive open kitchen’, Harajuku Japanese restaurant in the O Hotel offers guests sushi, sashimi and teppenyaki counters, functioning as a buffet with the added benefit of ordering directly from the chefs. The food is simply outstanding in both breadth and detail, from the sushi rolls served with sauces and spices to the lunchtime bento boxes, containing an aromatic cooked main accompanied by tempura, Japanese salad, 6 sushi rolls, and a sweet dessert. This is Japanese cuisine at its most indulgent, where the freshest ingredients make for a range of both light and hearty meals, depending on preference. The only exclusively Japanese restaurant in Pune, the restaurant is decked out to provide the most elegant and unique experience, with bold red walls, plush upholstery, and sparkling chandeliers, all complimenting the food that competes with any sushi bar around the world.
Harajuku, The O Hotel,501, Kensington Court, 5th Lane, North Main Road, Koregaon Park, Pune, Maharashtra 411001, India, +91 20 4001 1000
Vaishali
Confusingly namedas a hotel, as many Indian restaurants are apt to do, Vaishali is basic food joint standing in welcome contrast to the expensive hotel restaurants in the city. The humble traditional South Indian eatery is no less loved than the more sophisticated options, and is in fact a particular favourite with the thriving student community. Also popular with locals, expats and tourists, Vaishali delights with the very best dosas, idlis and uttapams cooked by the experienced staff. The restaurant won’t take reservations, and yet is somehow always brimming with those lucky enough to arrive in perfect time to grab a table, including local celebrities who have made this their favourite daytime haunt.
Vaishali, Fergusson College Rd, Fergusson College Campus, Shivaji Nagar, Pune, Maharashtra 411004, India, +91 20 2553 1244
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