2BHK Diner & Key Club. 2BHK is a funky and banging new restaurant/lounge (from the same owners as 1BHK, Baner) at the seriously dope Raja Bahadur Mills. It bridges the gap between what typically happens – a great lounge with a great vibe and music with bad food or a place with great food but not a hipe enough vibe. This place is awesome. Even with the rather steep competition from its neighbours, 2BHK holds up in terms of atmosphere, vibe, music as well as food.
They even have an exclusive members-only ‘Key Club’. For a sort of a (hefty) cover charge, you get the private dining, private butlers and servers, exclusive high-end alcohol, private DJ and even a fancy locker to keep your personal alcohol for you and your guests. It's quite fancy and awesome, but being an exceedingly middle-class man, I kinda don’t fully fathom it. But for someone who can afford it, it definitely would be appealing.
Drinks :
Drinks at 2BHK are truly spectacular. The Virgin Mojito and Tropical Green Lemonade I had (yes, I know, I had to work later, okay?) was really nice and refreshing. The alcoholic drinks (Blood On the Dance Floor, Green Apple Martini and Melon Sangria) looked freakishly awesome, tasted great and had a right ‘OL kick (I have it on good authority.)
Appetizers:
We had a proper onslaught of appetizers, thrown at us from every direction. I have never been in a more delicious bombardment before.
The meaty, spicy and caramelly Salli Boti Mutton Tak-A-Tak was wondrous. Juicy and tasty, but I did get a chewy piece of mutton once in a while. The Mushroom Galauti Kebabs just knocked it out of the park with it’s luscious, smooth and soft texture and wonderful mild, creamy and mushroomy taste. The accompanying sauces and the spicy onions were a real treat.
Valencia Orange and Apple Fusion was a cooling and refreshing salad, perfect for the scorching May heat. The sweet, tangy flavours with the sharp cheese were fantastic. Assorted Veggie Pattaya was a bright green crispy stir fry of vegetables with classic Thai flavours of lemongrass, kaffir lime etc.
The 2BHK Veri Veri Piri Piri Prawns were very very juicy and delicious, spicy and grilled to perfection. The Chicken Shish Tawook was a wonderful Middle Eastern style juicy Kebab served with Pita, hummus and a salad. Really amazing dish. The Seven Pepper Chicken Tikka, though, failed to impress me, lacking in flavour and punch that I expected. Butter Chicken and Butter Paneer Nanzza were absolutely scrumptious. Not sweet, but creamy, smokey and full of flavour.
Mains:
Grilled Australian John Dory was a smash hit. Absolutely juicy flaky fish, grilled to perfection, flavoured magically with butter, garlic and rosemary. Such a soul-satisfying dish, with the accompanying sauteed spinach, peppers and potatoes adding wonderful textures and flavour.
Rani Dal Makhni and Chur Chur naan were amazing. Smokey, earthy, creamy rich dal and crispy smokey naan, was a match made in heaven. Definitely one of the must-haves.
Cottage Cheese Steak in Jack Daniels sauce was innovative and interesting. The paneer was soft and well grilled and the sauce was well balanced and had a definite hit from the bourbon. Braised Lamb Shank was quite good too with juicy succulent meat and a decent risotto and brown sauce. Not exceptional, but quite good. The Veg Cheese Risotto was nice too, creamy and cheesy, but somehow, not for me. Rice not being al dente and overall being a bit bland and gooey, risotto is usually just not my thing.
Lamb Massaman Curry was pretty nice and so was the Stir Fried Asian Greens, really nice Asian dishes. Butter Chicken Pasta (penne) is one of their popular specialities. Well if you're one of those crazy butter chicken fanatics and don't really appreciate real pasta, and you want to try pasta, this could be a good entry point. not for me though.
Desserts:
This is where things went crazy. There were a lot of desserts. And it was a feast. But a few desserts, unfortunately, fell slightly short. That doesn’t mean there weren’t some really awesome ones, though.
Baked New York Cheesecake – Absolutely one of the best cheesecakes in Pune. Creamy, cheesy, not too sweet and absolutely heaven. Perfect dense texture and cheesiness with a hint of the salty taste. The sweet tangy cherry compote was delicious and a perfect compliment. The gooey sinfully chocolatey Mud Cake was awesome. The wonderful and delicate choux pastry based Profiteroles were elegant, filled with cream and almonds. The Fried Ice Cream was very different and quite tasty with crispy and creamy textures. The Apple Crumble Pie was pretty as a picture, cinnamony and heartwarming. The wobbly creamy Coffee Panna Cotta was quite good and if you like cold cheesecakes, the Blueberry Philadelphia would be a good choice.
Unfortunately, though, the Lemon and Mango Panna Cottas just wasn’t good at all. They lacked flavour and the sauces had too much of an artificial taste. The Tiramisu was just too bland and overly creamy. It lacked the texture as well as intense coffee flavour that one desires.
Verdict :
Overall 2BHK is an awesome place to hang out, eat and party. It will be one hell of a place to impress someone on a date too. Really fun, happening and amazing restaurant with great food, music and vibe. You can’t really go wrong. Some dishes and a few desserts do need some work, but it’s not a deal breaker. They have a great variety of cuisines for all sorts of palates and definitely awesome drinks and cocktails.
They even have an exclusive members-only ‘Key Club’. For a sort of a (hefty) cover charge, you get the private dining, private butlers and servers, exclusive high-end alcohol, private DJ and even a fancy locker to keep your personal alcohol for you and your guests. It's quite fancy and awesome, but being an exceedingly middle-class man, I kinda don’t fully fathom it. But for someone who can afford it, it definitely would be appealing.
Drinks :
Drinks at 2BHK are truly spectacular. The Virgin Mojito and Tropical Green Lemonade I had (yes, I know, I had to work later, okay?) was really nice and refreshing. The alcoholic drinks (Blood On the Dance Floor, Green Apple Martini and Melon Sangria) looked freakishly awesome, tasted great and had a right ‘OL kick (I have it on good authority.)
Appetizers:
We had a proper onslaught of appetizers, thrown at us from every direction. I have never been in a more delicious bombardment before.
The meaty, spicy and caramelly Salli Boti Mutton Tak-A-Tak was wondrous. Juicy and tasty, but I did get a chewy piece of mutton once in a while. The Mushroom Galauti Kebabs just knocked it out of the park with it’s luscious, smooth and soft texture and wonderful mild, creamy and mushroomy taste. The accompanying sauces and the spicy onions were a real treat.
Valencia Orange and Apple Fusion was a cooling and refreshing salad, perfect for the scorching May heat. The sweet, tangy flavours with the sharp cheese were fantastic. Assorted Veggie Pattaya was a bright green crispy stir fry of vegetables with classic Thai flavours of lemongrass, kaffir lime etc.
The 2BHK Veri Veri Piri Piri Prawns were very very juicy and delicious, spicy and grilled to perfection. The Chicken Shish Tawook was a wonderful Middle Eastern style juicy Kebab served with Pita, hummus and a salad. Really amazing dish. The Seven Pepper Chicken Tikka, though, failed to impress me, lacking in flavour and punch that I expected. Butter Chicken and Butter Paneer Nanzza were absolutely scrumptious. Not sweet, but creamy, smokey and full of flavour.
Mains:
Grilled Australian John Dory was a smash hit. Absolutely juicy flaky fish, grilled to perfection, flavoured magically with butter, garlic and rosemary. Such a soul-satisfying dish, with the accompanying sauteed spinach, peppers and potatoes adding wonderful textures and flavour.
Rani Dal Makhni and Chur Chur naan were amazing. Smokey, earthy, creamy rich dal and crispy smokey naan, was a match made in heaven. Definitely one of the must-haves.
Cottage Cheese Steak in Jack Daniels sauce was innovative and interesting. The paneer was soft and well grilled and the sauce was well balanced and had a definite hit from the bourbon. Braised Lamb Shank was quite good too with juicy succulent meat and a decent risotto and brown sauce. Not exceptional, but quite good. The Veg Cheese Risotto was nice too, creamy and cheesy, but somehow, not for me. Rice not being al dente and overall being a bit bland and gooey, risotto is usually just not my thing.
Lamb Massaman Curry was pretty nice and so was the Stir Fried Asian Greens, really nice Asian dishes. Butter Chicken Pasta (penne) is one of their popular specialities. Well if you're one of those crazy butter chicken fanatics and don't really appreciate real pasta, and you want to try pasta, this could be a good entry point. not for me though.
Desserts:
This is where things went crazy. There were a lot of desserts. And it was a feast. But a few desserts, unfortunately, fell slightly short. That doesn’t mean there weren’t some really awesome ones, though.
Baked New York Cheesecake – Absolutely one of the best cheesecakes in Pune. Creamy, cheesy, not too sweet and absolutely heaven. Perfect dense texture and cheesiness with a hint of the salty taste. The sweet tangy cherry compote was delicious and a perfect compliment. The gooey sinfully chocolatey Mud Cake was awesome. The wonderful and delicate choux pastry based Profiteroles were elegant, filled with cream and almonds. The Fried Ice Cream was very different and quite tasty with crispy and creamy textures. The Apple Crumble Pie was pretty as a picture, cinnamony and heartwarming. The wobbly creamy Coffee Panna Cotta was quite good and if you like cold cheesecakes, the Blueberry Philadelphia would be a good choice.
Unfortunately, though, the Lemon and Mango Panna Cottas just wasn’t good at all. They lacked flavour and the sauces had too much of an artificial taste. The Tiramisu was just too bland and overly creamy. It lacked the texture as well as intense coffee flavour that one desires.
Verdict :
Overall 2BHK is an awesome place to hang out, eat and party. It will be one hell of a place to impress someone on a date too. Really fun, happening and amazing restaurant with great food, music and vibe. You can’t really go wrong. Some dishes and a few desserts do need some work, but it’s not a deal breaker. They have a great variety of cuisines for all sorts of palates and definitely awesome drinks and cocktails.
