Where To Eat In Pune During NH7 Weekender

Photo: Kunal Kakodkar.

At the Bacardi NH7 Weekender music festival this weekend, the majority of gigs start after 4pm. This thus leaves you free to check out Pune’s famed food scene for breakfast and lunch. To help you decide where to eat, we’ve put together a list of some of our sister city’s most popular establishments, sticking to places in areas where most people are likely to stay during the course of the festival, such as popular tourist haunts Camp and Koregaon Park as well as Wanowrie, a suburb close to the venue, the Amanora Park Town in Hadapsar. We’ve left out five-stars (keeping in mind the average gig-goer’s budget) and branches of Mumbai restaurants and instead, focused on tried-and-tested oldie-but-goodies that cover a range of cuisines. We’ve also thrown in a few snack joints to get a quick bite at or bring something back from (Shrewsbury biscuits, anyone?) and where to go if you want to tank up on beer, which you won’t get on the grounds. To save you time spent choosing from the scores of stalls inside the Amanora Park Town, we’ve also listed our ten picks of the best counters from which to get your food fix in between gigs. Happy feasting!

ABC Farms
You know you’re from Pune if you know what a “lemsi” is; the lemon lassi is the drink of choice at ABC Farms.
North Main Road, next to Hotel Westin, Koregaon Park. Tel: 020 2688 0888. Daily, 5am to 9pm.
Also: Near Chandan Stores, Mahatma Gandhi Road. Tel: 020 2634 8438. Daily, 7am to 10pm.

Blue Nile, George
The jury is out over which of these two long-standing establishments would win a battle of the biryanis. George is the more “family friendly” of the two and does a mean tandoori chicken, Blue Nile scores with its butter chicken.
Blue Nile, 4 Bund Garden Road, opposite Poona Club, Camp. 020 2612 5238. Daily, noon to 11pm.
George, 2436 East Street, lane opposite Aurora Towers, Camp. 020 2605 3645. Daily, 8am to 11.15pm.

Budhani Bros
Once you hit “Main Street”, you can follow your nose to Budhani, where the fresh, warm, crisp and crunchy wafers might make you want to never touch a packet of Lay’s again.
682 Gurukrupa Building, opposite Wonderland, 682 Taboot Street, off Mahatma Gandhi Road, Camp. 020 2613 4118/1264. Daily, 9am to 2pm and 4pm to 9pm.

Burger
The erstwhile Burger King may have had to change their name recently (after legal action from the American chain), but their whopper of a King Beef Burger has become part of Pune food lore.
Next to ABC Farms, North Main Road, Koregaon Park. 020 6525 6058. Daily, noon to 10pm. Also: Phul Gate, opposite Talwarkars, East Street, Camp. 020 6525 5301. Daily, 10.30am to 10.30pm.

Dario’s
The rich, coffee-soaked tiramisu and crisp Margherita pizza are our favourites at this Italian joint set up by one of the founders of the Little Italy chain.
Hotel Sunderban, Lane 1, same lane as the Osho International Meditation Resort, Koregaon Park. 020 2605 3597. Daily, 8am to 11.30pm.

Dorabjee & Sons
Not to be confused with the supermarket on Moledina Road, this is Pune’s best-known and best Parsi restaurant.
845 Dastur Meher Road, Sarbatwalla Chowk, Camp. 020 2614 5955. Daily, 11.30am to 10.30pm.

Jashn
Whether you’re craving a shawarma snack, cheap Chinese or greasy Mughlai, this is arguably your best bet when you get the midnight munchies.
Behind Rosary School, Salunkhe Vihar Road, Wanowrie. 091588 30817. Daily, 7pm until late.

Kapila Kathi Kabab
This kiosk is a one-stop shop for succulent egg, chicken and mutton rolls.
Outside Kapila Business Hotel, 174 Dhole Patil Road. 099210 09936. Daily, 5pm to 10.30pm.

Kayani Bakery
Don’t return without a packet or six of their famous Shrewsbury biscuits. The sponge cake is pretty good too.
6 Dr. Koyaji Road, opposite Victory Cinema, East Street, Camp. 020 2636 0517. Monday to Saturday, 7.30am to 1pm and 3.30pm to 8pm.

Malaka Spice
We may not always share their taste in art, but we’ve always found the food at this South-East Asian restaurant/gallery to be plenty agreeable.
Lane 5, Koregaon Park. 020 2615 1088. Daily, 11am to 11pm.

Marz-O-Rin
Chutney sandwiches to rival the NCPA canteen.
Bakthiar Plaza, 6 Mahatma Gandhi Road, Camp. 020 2613 6690. Daily, 9.30am to 9.30pm.

Peter’s Pan
If you’re staying in Wanowrie, get their sweet or savoury waffles and pancakes for a hearty start to a day of gig hopping.
16, Green Valley, Wanowrie. 092264 08478. Daily, 9am to 10pm.

Railway Station Stalls
Looking for some grub post midnight? Look for the crowds near the gates of Pune railway station and you’ll find your way to a selection of serviceable anda burji stalls.
Outside Pune Railway Station. Until late.

Seesha Jazz Cafe
Think fancy hookah parlour meets Jazz by the Bay meets Irani cafe, but with a more elaborate, and exotic-sounding menu.
No.35/36, ABC Farms, Koregaon Park. 020 6520 0390. Daily, 10am to 11.45pm.

Terttulia
Pune’s equivalent of Indigo Deli: get the eggs Florentine; the Aphrodite panini (spinach, feta, olives, artichoke hearts, walnuts and mozzarella); or the fusilli with fried leeks, almonds and roasted garlic in pesto cream.
393, Sanas Corner, South Main Road, Koregaon Park. Tel: 020 26052180. Daily, 9am to 12.30am.

The 1st Brewhouse
At their on-site (and Pune’s first) micro brewery Doolally, the folks at The 1st Brewhouse offer up handcrafted malt beers and cider sold by pitcher or by pint. During factory hours, between noon and 5pm, pints are only Rs100.
The Corinthians, NIBM Annex, Kondhwa. 020 2695 2229. Daily, 12.30pm to midnight.

Touche The Sizzler (The Place), Zamu’s Place
Puneites debate over which is the better sizzler joint; The Place boasts a Bombay connection and fresh fruit ice-cream; Zamu’s does better garlic mushrooms.
Touche The Sizzler (The Place), 7, Clover Centre, Moledina Road, Camp. 020 2613 4632. Daily, from 11.30am to 3pm and 7pm to 10.45pm.
Zamu’s Place, 189, Nirmal Building, near Madhuban, Dhole Patil Road. 020 2616 3610. Daily, from 11am to 3pm and 7pm to 10.45pm.

Vohuman Cafe
This Irani breakfast institution serves up fluffy omelettes but the house special is a plate of (buffalo milk) malai with a sprinkling of sugar, which is best mopped up with some pillowy pav.
Near Jehangir Hospital, Sassoon Road. 093733 23263. Daily, 6am to 7.30pm.

THE BEST FOOD STALLS AT NH7 WEEKENDER
All stalls open from 3pm to 10pm
Amore
Gelato loyalists like us hope that their decadent Bombay Double Fudge Chunk is part of the festival fare.

Deliciae
You may know them better as the folks who run the dessert counters at the Out of the Blue restaurants. Halt here for gooey brownies.

Gostana
Get chicken, beef or soy bean burgers and beer-spiked cheese fries at the beloved Bandra café’s stall.

Lassi De Parrontthe
Nikhil Thakur’s fluffy stuffed parathas will have you lining up for repeat orders, but be prepared for a wait because you can’t rush the man.

Le15 Patisserie
The patisserie will only be selling its perennially popular sweet treats such as cupcakes and macaroons on the final day of the festival.

Marrakesh
This busy stall does brisk business selling the most finger-friendly festival snack of them all: generously stuffed chicken shawarmas.

Oye Punjabi
Filling parathas, Amritsari chole-kulcha, and aloo tikki are among the offerings from the restaurant located on the Nashik highway.

Prem’s
The locals swear by their North Indian fare and butter-lavished naans.

Yogurtbay
Their fruit and dessert-flavoured frozen yoghurt, with a mix of toppings such as sprinkles and poppers, contribute to making Weekender the country’s “happiest music festival”.

Global Village
The enterprising student members of youth organisation Aiesec, who are in India on internships from Asia, America, Europe, South America, and Africa, will sell food and knick knacks from their respective countries.