Pune's Koregaon Park: A Foodie's Delight

The German Bakery

The German Bakery is no more than a cozy battered wooden shack, perched precariously on the side of the road where Koregaon Park begins. It's more of an institution than a cafe. Within its wooden benches and open-aired exits, lies enough spirit to keep you enraptured for days on end. With cameo appearances by an unmatched band of characters... hippies carving their trail through forever, filmmakers with aspirations towards Bergman, refugees from the Osho Ashrama nearby, or just the lone traveler who just can't get enough of his/ her masala chai.

They offer whole wheat breads, eggs, cakes, pies, desserts, soft drinks, herbal teas, lassi, fruit juices, Nutella sandwiches, Darjeeling tea and coffee. German Bakery is a hot favourite of health freaks. In fact, with absolutely no preservatives added, they are definitely one up on other restaurants, what with their fruit juices topping the must-try list! Everything happens to be sugar free as they use honey and natural sweeteners…. And what's more, there are loads to even carry away home to add to a substantial breakfast at home. And for those who are short on the moolah, this one is not tough on your wallets! German bakery is more a hang out place for conversations, an experience and atmosphere of the place which makes you feel like heading to the laid back beaches of Goa.

Food: Health foods, bakery foods, breakfast foods, juices
Alcohol served: No
Price: $
Address: German Bakery
Beginning of North Main Road
Koregaon Park
Pune 411001
Tel: (020) 26136532

Arthur's Theme

This lovely little French Restaurant with blue tiles and lanterns hanging over Solid wood tables is definitely not to be missed by anyone who loves French cuisine.

With a very elaborate menu and intriguing names like Don Quixote, Michelangelo, Georgei and Magnus Maximus, the menu comes with a detailed description of the dish and ingredients which helps you take your pick. The dishes are prepared in rich deep sauces and are nothing less than lip-smacking. The smooth and rich taste of the food has a mouth watering effect leaving customers waiting for their next visit to try a new dish from their vast menu.

Food: French, European
Alcohol served: Yes
Price: $$$
Address: 2, Vrindavan Apartments
Lane No. 6,
North Main Road,
Koregaon Park
Pune - 411 001
Tel: +(91)-(20)- 2613 2710, 5603 2710
Site:www.arthurstheme.com

Malaka Spice

If South-east Asian is what your craving then Malaka Spice is just the place for you. The entire place is decorated with orange tiles radiating vibrancy and positive energy. A striking feature of the restaurant is the paintings on the walls by . The customers visiting the restaurant can buy these paintings if they wish to do so.


Malaka Spice is truly a culinary journey through South-East Asia with Thai, Malay, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Korean, Chinese and Japanese food all under one roof. And all very commendably authentic and very close to the real thing. The menu is elaborate, some sure-fire hits are the Japanese Prawn Tempura-golden batter-fried prawns, Vietnamese Chicken, Malaysian curried chicken stuffed partha ‘Murtabak’. Curries of the Thai red, yellow and green variety. Vegetarian variety includes Indonesian satay, Indonesian spicy peanut rice cake and other courses. You can also opt for the daily lunch specials or ‘Hawkers Delights’, which offer street food at a value for money price (Rs75-90). Wind up your meal with a Lychee Truffle ice cream or the chocolate mousse. An experience worth repeating!


Food: South-east Asian: Thai, Malay, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Korean, Chinese, Japanese
Alcohol served: Wine
Price: $$
Address: Vrindavan Apartment,
Lane No. 6,
North Main Road,
Koregaon Park
Pune - 411 001
Tel:+(91)-(20)- 2613 6293, 2614 1088
Website: www.malakaspice.com

Prem's

Among the host of restaurants breathlessly jostling for space on North Main Road, Prem's Restaurant has been around since the 80's and has held it's ground. Ambient with a romantic setting complete with candlelight and all, Prem's specializes in Indian and Continental food. Timely service is unheard of here. Neither is it expected. The waiters do not buzz around you trying to get you to vacate your table quickly. The norm here is a leisurely 3-hour meal.

Famous for their variety of cheesy bakes especially the vegetable au gratin or then the spinach one, they have a lot to choose from. The Sea-food Soup (in land-locked Pune, this fresh fish dish is a wonder), Mixed Veg Bhuna (smoked vegetables, Lucknowi style), Lamb Sizzler and Shanghai Fried Rice are amongst the fastest moving dishes here. The Indian menu consists of dishes like Paneer Tikka Masala and the likes. From the Chinese menu their American Chopsuey and Vegetable Manchurian are rather popular. If you’d rather avoid the calories courtesy those colas, you can opt for their juices whether fresh lime or then watermelon, Beer is also served. Apple Pie and Lichee Custard are superb desserts to try.

Food: Indian, Continental
Alcohol served: Beer only
Price: $$
Address: 28/2 Koregaon Park,
Opp. SBI Training Centre,
North Main Road
Koregaon Park
Tel:(020) 26130985

Soul, ABC Farms

This open air garden style seating joint attracts the young and trendy crowds. Soul has an inviting rustic and earthy appeal created by wooden paneling and tables, wrought iron chairs and greenery. Well-spaced, candle-lit tables and a split-level arrangement help create your own cozy private space.

The Menu offers a mouth-watering choice of Indian and Italian cuisine, with an exciting range of exquisite desserts. Friday nights come alive with musicians of all genres, both young and old, who play music ranging from Retro & Rock 'N' Roll to Jazz & Blues. Sould has a fully stocked bar serving up eveything from fine wines to cocktails. With individual chefs and separate kitchens for Indian and Italian food, Soul boasts a cuisine that tingles ones taste buds with mouth-watering delicacies. Being the only restaurant to have a wheat pizza base (on request), Soul is proud to mention that its Italian chef has trained and worked in Southern Italy to master the finer nuances of Italian herbs and spices.

Food: Italian, Indian
Alcohol served: Yes
Price: $$$
Address: Soul, ABC Farms
North Main road
Koregaon Park
Pune
Tel: +91 20 6520 6997
Website:www.entersoul.com

Silk Route

The first thing that strikes you as you enter Silk Route is a very authentic oriental ambience, a golden lion sitting pretty between bamboo plants and the waitress’s dressed in traditional Thai costumes. The place has a garden seating as well as an indoor seating arrangement. They also have a small lounge on the first floor, which is ideal for a small private party.

Silk Route serves an oriental fare ranging from Japanese, Indonesian, Korean, Vietnam and Chinese food. The Japanese teppanyaki, oriental barbeques in oriental sauces, tempuras, vegetarian and non-vegetarian sushi, sashimi, yakitori, teriyaki are worth a try. However do not miss their lamb or chicken bulgoki (korean barbecue), miso soup, meal tempura and samurai sushi (5 pieces each of various seafood).

Food: Japanese, Indonesian, Korean, Vietnam, Chinese
Alcohol served: Yes
Price: $$$
Address: 357/1, Pingale Corner,
Cosmos Bank Lane,
Koregaon Park,
Pune - 411 001.
Tel: +91-20-26135793
Website: www.silkrouterestaurant.com

The Great Punjab

Punjabi food is a hot favourite almost every where in India. It's tasty, juicy, spicy and makes you feel guilty for putting your tummy through all the rich food but it just has to be done. So if this craving ever hits you, simply head to The Great Punjab.

The Great Punjab offers authentic Punjabi cuisine with its wide variety of vegetarian, chicken, fish and mutton dishes. With the butter chicken (paneer for the vegetarians), chicken tikka, mushrooms in green cream sauce or just a plain dal makhni and you will be rubbing your belly in delight all the way home. Their Karela kebab, chicken breasts stuffed with mince lamb, kheema chaap, mutton bhuna and mutton rogan josh are hot favourites as well.

Food: Punjabi, North Indian
Alcohol served: Yes
$$$
Address:The Great Punjab Restaurant
5, Jewel Tower,
Off North Main Road,
Koregaon Park,
Pune 411001
Tel: (020) 26145070, 26145060, 30932023
Website: www.thegreatpunjab.com

Squisito

Does Italian attract you? I mean the food. Well then Squisito is here to fulfill your Italian wishes. The restaurant offers Mexican and Lebanese along with Italian which is their specialty. Squisito is the place to visit or call for mouthwatering pizza, pasta, salads and sandwiches.

Squisito in Italian means delicious and the food here is bursting with fresh flavors. You'll fall in love with the authentic Italian dishes served with just the right touch of all the best and freshest ingredients. The unique thing about this place is that it is based on Italian theme and everything is inspired by Italy, it also has a live kitchen. The only disappointment is that it serves an all vegetarian fare but with the food so good sometimes you don't even notice. Do go for their Caesar salad, the insalata di mista, the ravioli in four-cheese sauce, pizza napolitana, the tagliatelle, the gnocchi with mushrooms as well as some equally tempting tiramisu.

Food: Vegetarian- Italian, Mexican, Lebanese
Alcohol served: Yes
Price: $$$
Address: 1 Jewel Tower Lane No.5,
Koregaon Park,
Pune-1
Tel: (020) 26054005

The Yellow Chilli

A Brand new addition to the restaurant boom in KP is The Yellow Chilli. Celebrity Chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s The Yellow Chilli at Koregaon park is housed in a beautiful bungalow surrounded by lush green lawns! The contemporary Décor with little splashes of colour makes the entire restaurant come alive. The most popular being the intimate seating along the veranda.

The restaurant offers a lavish Indian fare from North India as well as a wide range of Maharashtrian dishes to tempt the taste buds. Sanjeev Kapoor has crafted some signature dishes like Aloo Nazakat,which is Succulent Stuffed potatoes grilled in the tandoor or the Sham Savera which is Spinach kofta stuffed with Malai Paneer and served in tomato and honey gravy and many more signature dishes. Try their Mutton Kebab and Alu Nazakat and you won't be disappointed. The restaurant has an excellent buffet spread of over 50 dished for lunch thorough out the week priced at Rs.250/- plus taxes. A la carte is served in the evenings.

Food: Indian
Price: $$
Address: Sanskriti Lifestyle 390,
Lane No.7,
Koregaon Park,
Pune
Tel: 020 30429494/5

Swiss Cheese Garden, ABC Farms

Swiss Cheese Garden is located within the ABC Farms food court at Koregaon Park specializes in Swiss European cuisine and also serves some of the finest Indian dishes. The Swiss Cheese Garden has a Norwegian touch to design. The interiors are made from babul logs, which create an atmosphere of Swiss Log Huts, and they have Mangalore tiles on the ceiling, laid from inside rather than from the top of the roof, which keeps the place cool even in the summer.

Not only is the the ambience is wonderful but the food is delicious too. Most of the cheeses made at A.B.C. Farms are showcased and used to the best advantage at Swiss Cheese Garden. Here Cheese fondues and specialty dishes like Raclettes, Rostis, Chicken Cordon Bleu, Swiss Alps Goulash and Smoked Veal are served. To compliment the Swiss European cuisine they have an equal strength to offer with some of the finest Indian dishes prepared from raw material from the farm such as the wheat from which the rotis are made.

Food: Swiss, European, Indian
Alcohol: Yes
Price: $$$
Address: Abc Farms
North Main Road towards ghorpadi,
Koregaon Park,
Tel: (020) 32538279, 9890911923

Shisha Cafe, ABC Farms

Shisha Café is a delightful experience in every sense of the term, if you are looking for an unusual place to eat out. The décor is a combination of an Iranian mountain kebab house and a traditional Indo-Iranian corner café; complete with Iranian welcome chairs, marble-top tables, and divans with Persian carpets and poshtis (backrests) and surrounded by an oasis of jungle greenery.

The menu offers a broad choice of authentic Iranian cuisine, as well as a good spread of Indian and Continental food. The restaurant opens at 10 in the morning with the traditional Iranian breakfast of omelettes and chai, as well as sandwiches and burgers. They are open all day and serve a special brew of Turkish coffee and a selection of fine Indian and Iranian teas.

Food: Middle-eastern, Iranian, Indian, Continental
Alcohol: Yes
Price: $$
Address: Abc Farms
North Main Road towards ghorpadi,
Koregaon Park,
Tel: (020) 26810050

Mad House Grill

The Madhouse Grill is far from what the name says. If you had visions of a mad-eyed chef with a butcher’s knife running amok, you can rest assured that the place is anything but that! A typical European set-up, sparsely decorated but inviting, nevertheless. Those who dig Continental will love this place.

The house specialties include a great many dishes running the entire spectrum of chicken, beef and seafood. The Skewered Jumbo Prawns, with a choice of your favourite sauce falls in a class of its own. Mad House Grill specializes in steaks, bar-be-cue and mughalai raan, the latter getting the popular vote for the best ever! Other pop food includes chicken wings, chicken & cheese, roasted chicken, corn rice, corn salad and stuffed potatoes. The vegetarians don't have as many choices a-la-carte.

Food: Continental, Middle Eastern, Indian
Price: $$$
Address: Lane No.6
Pingale Corner Off North Main Road,
Koregaon Park,
Pune
Tel: (020) 26124779

Oriental Stir Kitchen

Located in the bylanes of KoregaonPark, Oriental Stir Kitchen offers Oriental cuisine. Interiors, however, are not really Oriental, though they did have the conventional orange and green combination with wooden chairs. Watch the live kitchen and see the dim sums being prepared and you are sure to get hungry.

Serving up mainly Chinese they also have a few thai, malaysian and korean dishes. Don't miss their rainbow dimsum, tasu fish, kalamari frito, prawns in chilli basil, veg green thai curry and stir-fried veg oriental delight. Worth a try are the stir fry vegetables, Oriental delight. If you have a sweet tooth, you could try the Vegetables in Pineapple and Cashewnut. You can be free to ask the chef for some personal favorites or a featured dish to be prepared in a special way. The chef will be more than happy to oblige.

Food: Oriental, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Malaysian
Price: $$
Address: 3A & 3B Jewel Towers,
Lane No. 5,
Off North Main Road,
Koregaon Park
Tel: (020) 66201796, 66201797, 66201798

Herbs & Spice

Herbs & Spice Restaurant is a multi cuisine restaurant offering Indian, Thai and Chinese. A well decorated inside the do have a few tables outside as well.

Do not miss their thai banana leaf in which chicken, fish or vegetarian preparations are served in a wrapped in a banana leaf. Also try their chicken kandahari kebab, chicken afghani kebab, dal hyderbadi and dal kandahari.

Food: Indian, Thai, Chinese
Price: $$
Address: 21/22, Gulmohar Gardens,
Lane No.7,
Koregaon Park,
Pune 411001
Tel: 020-26111279, 65203459

3rd on 7th

Another newbie in the KP chain of restaurants in 3rd on 7th which specializes in Mediterranean cuisine serving also moroccan, lebanese and italian food.

You can try their pastas, cous-cous, chicken targine, grilled fish and creme brulee. They have a special section for children with finger food such as chicken nuggets and baked beans. With an open kitchen you can watch the deft skill of the cook who make naans with in a tandoor. Another special is the sweet samosa stuffed with a chunky apple filling served with a dip of honey butter.

Food: Mediterranean, moroccan, lebanese, italian, Indian
Price: $$$
Address:3rd on 7th Restaurant
7th Lane,
North Main Road,
Koregaon Park,
Pune 411001
Tel: (020) 26140715

Koyla (The Hyderabad House)

From the moment one steps into Koyla, the Hyderabadi restaurant, one is taken back in time to the long bygone Qutub Shahi era. Standing on the door is a darban, dressed in the traditional garb of a sherwani, complete with the elegant rumi topi- the cap and mojadis- the traditional footwear. The uniforms of the ushers are typical of the Nizam era- chauhashas with kamar bandhs tied around the waist.

Right from tantalizing starters, known as Gazak, to exotic desserts, one can find food fit for a king in this exotic restaurant. The specialty of Hyderabadi food is Kababs and so there are certain food items that are actually cooked on heated stone. This traditional method of cooking is what gives the food at Koyla its authentic taste. The kababs have been placed in a special section called Nizam Ki Bhatti Se- one can pick from among Kabab ka Khazana, Patthar ka Gosht, and Lagan ka seekh, Seekh ke Qaafli kabab,Boti kabab and others. Apart from this Koyla also offers Shorbas and other dishes like Saalim Raan, Nizami Pasande, Mirchi ka Saalan and many more. Haleem, Nahari (trotters), Chutney Gosht, Burhani are a few of the must have dishes it has to offer. For those with a sweet tooth, Hyderabad ki Mithaas has a delicious array of desserts like Qubani ka Meetha, Shahi tukda and more, served in traditional silverware.

Food: Hyderabadi, Mughlai, Indian
Price: $$$
Address:Hermas Vishal,
Mira Nagar Corner,
North Main Road,
Koregaon Park,
Tel: (020)26120102

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