Bangalore and Chennai’s popular Italian restaurant is now in Pune. Replacing Tertuilla in Koregaon Park, Toscano has opened its doors for the city to try delicious Italian and Mediterreanean food and potent cocktails.
As you enter the space, it’s quite a fresh vibe. The outdoors play around with white and green shades, and make for a lovely brunch space. The bar is retained from Tertuilla and opens out and indoors, which are more elegant, classy and dimly lit.
Pouring potent cocktails that are well-made, Toscano is a space you’d love to sip several glasses of sangria at. But we also tried ‘insolato’, a sweet and sour gin cocktail flavoured with elderflower, lavender, peach and topped with egg white - apt for those who love a lightly fruity cocktail. The ‘el diablo’ is a whiskey cocktail with raspberry and ‘ossimora’ is a tequila cocktail that packs a spicy punch thanks to the jalapeno and has freshness from the cucumber.
For appetizers, dig into ‘bruschetta vegetariana’ which has three types of bruschettas: classic with tomatoes and basil; a hummus one and one with smoked bell peppers (which was unusal and one of our favourites). Other appetizers to opt for include: ‘sapori mediterranei’ which has smoked eggplant and falafel; arancini e fritelle di verdure - vegetable rice balls and fried mozzarella (cheese lovers would love this) and frittelle di calamari gamberi e acciughe which has prawns, calamari, anchovies and is freshness served on a plate.
From the salads, definitely try their ‘burrata e prosciutto di parma ham’ - we loved the cured ham and salty prosciutto and the fresh burrata and all the elements of the salad worked well. For vegetarians we recommend the ‘insalata di formaggio di capra e pere’ which comes with half wine poached pear, raw beet slices and pistachio crusted goat cheese.
If you love authentic pizzas and would ditch the 30-minute delivery chain pizzas; definitely try their sourdough base pizzas. The one we tried had Toscano pesto chicken, bell pepper, onions, olives, boiled egg - the dough was fresh, crisp on the edges and packed a flavourful bite.
For mains, obviously order a pasta or risotto. We recommend the ‘fettuccine con melanzane carciofi e piselli’ which is a handmade pasta with roasted eggplant, artichokes, caramelized carrots in a butter sauce. But our favourite was the ‘risotto aI vino rosso e funghi asparagi’ which was cooked in red wine with mixed mushroom, leeks, asparagus and has flavour from the truffle oil too. If you love meat and wouldn’t mind a steak, there’s nothing better than ordering up a ‘tagliata di manzo can funghi e rucola’. It was served medium-rare with rocket, grilled mushrooms, roasted rosemary potatoes, and fried egg. We’d definitely go back for the steak here!
You can’t leave Toscano without trying their desserts. The ‘kahlua mousse’ served with almond tuile and crème anglaise is a delicious mousse and different from anything you may have eaten before. But what’s more innovative is their ‘charcoal infused cheesecake’ which has a smoky flavour and is a light cheesecake with a lot of fruits that add freshness to the bite. However, if you’re a tiramisu snob, you won’t be disappointed with Toscano’s rendition. It’s light and airy in every bite, and a great version to try.
Toscano is a good option for a date night, girls’ brunch or to dine with family on an occasion. A meal for two will cost you INR 1,500 and a pint of beer is priced at INR 225. They serve potent cocktails, have an excellent wine list and even a ‘chef’s table’ where you can leave the responsibility to the chef to decide what you’ll eat. It’s open from noon to 11pm and offers valet parking and free WiFi too.
