Pune is the heart of Maharashtra. If Mumbai is the financial capital, then Pune is the heritage and traditional capital. Pune is being preserving the heritage of Maharashtra like no one else has done; similarly even the foods have their own cultural and traditional values. The local cuisine of Pune retains the typical taste of coconut with the perfect spices. At the same time spice is considered as a prime factor, the typical cuisine includes rice with bhakris and vegetables. There are number of restaurants and roadside sellers in Pune, some restaurants serve local cuisine of Pune and India. And there are number of restaurants in the city and outskirts of Pune that sells the traditional cuisines.
1. Sukanta
Whenever you feel like treating yourself with a royal food visit this place. Its near the deccan gymkhana, unlimited tasty food with lots of love is served. The service is too professional, like typical Punekar attitude. And the food is served with same awesome taste too. Even the interior is like the royal place the guards in the gate wearing traditional royal uniforms which makes the detailing perfect. The décor is very perfectionate, the details in the table and couches are minutely done. The place gives a very joyful journey and experience. It’s a must visit and the dishes are must try, you’ll love it
2. Maratha samrat
Maratha samrat is actually famous for its non-veg food, but for the vegetarians, the special variety is provided. There is a wide range of pure Maharashtrian food for both the vegetarians and non-vegetarians here. The traditional authenticity of Pune will be visible in the interior and the décor of the place. The service is very quick and the charges are quite affordable. For those who love mutton and fish, this is the perfect place, spice blended dishes just like the hardcore Punekar eats. The fishes are perfect, crispy and juicy all the taste properly blend in it.
3. J1
A fine dine located near Shivaji Nagar, the music and the ambiance gives you a perfect Mahrashtrian experience. The sol kadi is the most ordered dish here, it’s the perfect Puneri sol kadi and the most tasty kadi one have ever tasted. The décor is brilliant all the wooden cabinets, tables and compartments are all stylish and modern. The place is classy and the lights and soft music make it more appealing. The foods are succulent and properly spiced, the rice vade with chicken curry is the best meal. The staff is very welcoming and cordial.
4. Vishnuji ki rasoi
Great place for a family get together, the ambiance is really nice. It’s the open place where chairs and tables are placed and a typical village environment is created. Even a scarecrow is made there, the food is served hot and fresh a proper thali, exact Puneri thali with rice, daal, vegetable, with bhakri and sol kadi and a sweet dish. A typical Puneri meal consumed in the rural areas of Pune. The service is very nice, the staff members are very affectionate and loving. They serve like they are serving their family member, the price is average with the foods quantity and quality being amazing.
5. Durvankur
Located in Sadashiv peth, it one of the excellent veg- thali joint. The place is extremely hygienic and neatly maintained, which appeals the customer and is a plus point for the restaurant. It’s a decent place with not much grand décor but the environment is very peaceful and surrounded with the awesome and tasty aroma which makes the stomach growl in hunger. The food is served in typical Maharashtrian style in steel plates and bowls, all the authentic Maharashtrian and Pune’s special dishes are served. Having an amazing taste and affordable at the same time.
6. Hotel shreyas
It’s the best place for Maharashtrian thalli and it has remained the same since years. The restaurant is their from last 10 years but now they have renovated it and the interior is much more classy and modern from before. The taste of the food is same and the customers are never unsatisfied. They have a large variety and even customer friendly dishes and thali in their menu. The economy thali is low in cost but the quality is very good and even the quantity is amazing with affordable cost for everyone. The service and staff are helpful.
7. MH- 09
It’s has been open since 2011 and catering the locals with the Maharashtrian cuisines. The place has been experimented with the regional cuisines from Kolhapur, Nagpur, and vidharba and the coastal areas of malwan. This all is exciting since you can enjoy your meal sitting in that pleasant ambiance. They have couple of tables outside in open which is ideal for evening in the cool breeze. The décor is simple but spotlessly clean, they serve the unique masala papad crispy fried papad topped with the chicken kheema and the traditional tomato and onion. It’s the best starter to start you meal, the service is extraordinary and the cost is average.
8. Wah Marathi
This is a place in hadapur in seasons mall. Generally, Pune doesn’t have such good restaurants in the mall, there are only small joints in the malls but this one is an exception. It is a breath of fresh air, interiors with interesting Devnagri calligraphy on the walls, fabulous wooden logs interspersed with the open brick and bamboo. From sol kadi to the very authentic pandra rassa and the white mutton soup from Kolhapur is amazing to taste. Thalipheeth, kothimbir wadi makes a good starters for the meal. There is the Maharashtrian version of kachori, pudhachya purya with lentil pastry stuffed with masala. They are just amazing to taste.
9. Shabree
It’s a hard-core traditional place with all the décor which gives the clue of its traditionalism, the food is served in the traditional Maharashtrian plates properly placed food in it in sequence. The service is very warming and homely just like the environment in there at the restaurant. Puran poli, shrikhand, surali vadi, pithla, thalipit are delicious. The traditional veg thali has all the flavors in it, spicy, sweet and sour everything in one thali. The zunka and bhakri are the must try dishes if you ever happen to visit here just don’t miss it. The place is very well managed and the atmosphere is soothing.
10. Sharvaree
It’s kind of a place with a buffet, the place serves large variation in food along with pure Maharashtrian food where South Indian dishes are also included in the menu. The buffet is very much affordable by everyone, the place has a simple decent ambiance with the surroundings aromatic and clean. The service is great the staff members are very cordial, the tawa paneer, pav bhaji, missal pav and the tawa thalipeeth are the most amazing dishes here, along with that the special shrikhand with puri and rassa bhaji is the special dishes among all.
11. Mathura
This regular Maharashtrian eating house has been around for more than 20 years now. Mathura is spotlessly clean and the Formica tables are clean and tidy and maintained regularly. The gavran thali is a slightly oily and spicy, with the sabji, usal and the variety of excellent homemade pickles and chutneys. The bhakri is always served hot and fresh, the lagnache thali is served with puri, masala bhat, Dahi vada, and jalebi. Puran Poli is available on the weekends as a special dish, they also serve food for fast the sabudanache vade and the aloo vada are one of the tastiest snacks made here. The basundi and kharwas are the most amazing sweet dishes. Kharwas is a pudding made of the cow’s first milk after the cow gives birth. It’s very pure and tastes amazing it’s worth trying.
12. Sugran’s kolhapuri non veg
Sugran is a very decent place, it has a good ambiance. They don’t have that grand décor and expensive tables and couches, its just plain tables and chairs and a small cozy place for dining. The place is famous for its authentic kolhapuri dishes, and kolhapuri food means spice and extremely delicious. That’s how the food is here in sugran’s, if one wants to know how kolhapuri thalis are then this is the definite place. Specialiy the chicken and mutton, its just mouth watering. Sometimes due to spice the eyes become red, but its worth the taste. The big roti with some sabji and pandhra rassa and then the kolhapuri special chicken in the big bowl, that’s all you need to satisfy the hunger.
13. Raviraj restaurant
Situated in central Pune near Deccan gymkhana, the place is extremely famous for its large variety in serving food. The place has been started off with the hardcore Maharashtrian outlet but now by the course of time it has grown and is serving various cuisines just not Maharashtrian. The thali with food loaded in it is the most delicious thali to have when you are extremely hungry then this is the place the service is very quick and the food provided is fresh and hot always, the price is average and the service is overwhelming. All the dishes are succulent and are must try. The place is worth you money and time with a great ambiance and surrounding.
14. Rassaa- jasa hava tassa
Great place to visit with friends and family, the first thing you’ll notice in this place is the ambiance. It is quite spacious and comfortable. The service is quick and goos, all the dishes are very delicious and the food is always fresh and warm. The place is specially for the rassas in Maharashtra like the sol kaddi, pandhra rassa and hirva rassa. You’ll find the best rassas served here with bhakri and chapatti and even the Puneri tikhat missal pav is the most ordered dish here. Along with that the veg tawa and chicken tawa are the grilled dishes served here which are loved by the customers.
15. SP’s biryani
Located at the heart of the city near SP college, mainly known for its best selling biryanis both veg and non-veg. They have various varieties of biryanis served here, like prawn biryani, egg biryani and even fish cutlet biryani. The place is simple yet large and spacious, with simple décor and bright lights and music in the background the place looks fresh and appealing the wall is decorated with some simple art. The food and service are good, the mutton curry are delicious and specially the Nagpur’s chicken curry. Along with that the prawns are very succulent and all the prawn dishes are loved by the customers and they are must try.
16. Krishna dining
It’s a pure veg Maharashtrian restaurant, with the pure desi thali served. The thali is so huge and loaded with food, from taking a look at the thali you’ll surely say one alone person can’t finish it. Starting from pickle to kesar shrikhan and gulab jamun and sheera and two to three variety of sabji to puri with roti and masala bhat and plain rice with Puneri varan everything is amazing. It’s just contains everything and anything you will ever imagine of in a Maharashtrian thali. The service is brilliant and the place has an amazing aura and ambiance.
17. Purepur Kolhapur
An authentic Kolhapuri restaurant with pure Kolhapuri dishes, the place is amazing and the food and service are the same too. The sukha chicken is the most delicious dish in the whole menu, the spice is perfect and the chicken is moist and juicy not over cooked nor dry, then the egg curry with the big roti, in Kolhapur style. As you sit down the first thing is the kokum juice served. With the rassa and kadi, even the veg thali is amazing. The quality of food is good even the quantity, its price effective and the service is great. With the staff cordial and helpful. The place is simple and decent it’s a must try place to taste good home made simple kolhapuri dishes.
18. Masemari- the fishing
An old place in Sadashiv path, mase mari is a seafood restaurant. It has been around for a while, the place is decorated in such a way that when you enter you get to know that it is a seafood restaurant, even its name indicates the same. The staff is nice enough, they serve the various curries from different regions of Maharashtra. The basement area is generally packed and lit up brightly with clean Formica tables and chairs. Upstairs is a low ceiling but slightly cozier, the food is awesome the boneless Bloch which they say red snapper. The tava and koliwada they are all succulent and delicious. It’s a must visit place for seafood lovers.
19. Durga bhuvan
This is a normal simple restaurant, with decent ambiance and clean and silent surrounding. the décor is much simpler, the plain shining gray walls are sophisticated with small frames hanging and the staff is very helpful the management is amazing. The place is always clean all the tables and seats are properly placed with all the cutlery and water glasses ready. The food is no doubt good, with the much normal, roti, sabzi, papad, sol kadi with mutton rassa and plain jeera rice. The food is satisfying and the price is average the food is always fresh and served quickly.
20. Shambhavi Kolhapur darbar
Shambhavi is another Kolhapuri restaurant in Sadashiv path, the place is normal and decent with a good ambiance and great service. The place is comparatively small but is cozy and the food is amazing. They have variety of Kolhapuri dishes, specially the authentic and the dishes which are consumed in the rural areas in the Kolhapur. They even have the old dishes which are rarely consumed now, which were there in the times of warriors. Their style of preparation is different and even the gravy and curry are different which makes the food more appealing and delicious even.
