The LBB Verdict: Have You Visited These Best Restaurants?

Right from the moment you enter Hotel Shreyas, the aroma of the food will make you hungry even if you’re not. The unlimited thali with a different menu everyday is a hard miss if you’re in Pune. The best time to visit Shreyas is during summers where you can sip on unlimited rounds of aamras and/or during festivals when they serve special and traditional Maharashtrian dishes. But regardless, you must pay a visit to this legendary hotel, if you haven't yet. They make their sweets in-house and you've to try the puran poli, kesari bhat and shrikhanda. A thali here costs about INR 320, so a meal for two will set you back about INR 700. 

Huge plates of combos which will leave your mouth watering, Aaoji Khaoji is every Punekar’s favourite. The best part is that you can dig into delicious Punjabi food at pocket-friendly rates. This place is also known for their quirky names of dishes and thali combos named after famous personalities. Try the Bahubali thali, Dharmendra or Narendra Modi paratha thalis that are sufficient to feed your gang of friends. A meal for two is about INR 800.

Le Plaisir is a favourite for a lot of people when they're in the mood for European. In fact, several visiting Mumbaikars also drop by this restaurant in Deccan Gymkhana. Their pastas, plated meals and desserts are a must-try. The ambiance of Le Plaisir is classy and you can easily woo your date. However, since these guys don't have a printed menu you have to go to the counter and place your order. A meal for two here will set you back INR 1,000.

Love pizza and everything Italian? Head to Fortelaza Complex in Kalyani Nagar and enjoy soul food in Slice of Soul (SOS). You will love to sip on strong coffees and take bites of thin-crust pizzas, calzone pockets, and pasta salads. Love DIY pizzas, design your own dish and choose unique toppings such as smoked pepperoni, pesto chicken, meat balls and paprika prawns. A meal for two here is about INR 700.

When we say pan-Asian, many of you will think of non-veg food. However, this is a vegetarian place with options aplenty and so tasty that even hardcore non-vegetarians will enjoy the food. Situated in the plush lanes of Kalyani Nagar, Mandala Hot Pot Culture is a cozy eatery offering live Asian hot pot cooking. They serve dim sum lunches for INR 799 where you get a variety of different dim sums. The food is prepared fresh and served to you which you can enjoy with your family over great conversations. You can dig into sushi, baos and stir fry too. A meal for two here costs about INR 700.

This is one restaurant which is known for its excellent service and truly authentic Italian fare. Head to Greens & Olives on Nagras Road in Aundh to dig into a bowl of creamy pastas and risottos. You also have the option to choose from different pastas, sauces and veggies and create a DIY bowl. Try their enchiladas and Mexican rice if in you're in the mood to try some hot Mexican food. A meal for two here is about INR 1,300.

This legendary eatery on MG Road has been known for serving amazing sizzlers for decades. The Place is always buzzing with patrons enjoying sizzlers and tends to get crammed up due to space constraints. However, the sizzlers make up for it. From tandoori sizzlers to Oriental ones, the menu is elaborate. We simply love the chicken Kobe-style and steak sizzlers. Vegetarians have a lot of options to choose from as well. Whenever you are in the mood to enjoy this smokey delicacy, head to The Place. Make a note to make prior reservations to avoid waiting for your table. A meal for two will cost about INR 1,000.

If you think South Indian cuisine is all about idli, dosas, vadas, you are absolutely wrong. There is a lot more to it and nobody knows it better than Savya Rasa. Located in Koregaon Park and Baner, it is considered as one of India's top 50 restaurants. From Malabari, Nellori, Chettinad, Kongu Nadu, Mysuru, Nasrani, Mangalorean and many more regional cuisines of South India, savour authentic delicacies, which will remind you of food from traditional kitchens. Try the royalla igguru which are spicy marinated prawns, kuzhi paniyaram, which are appes. A meal for two will set you back INR 2,100.

Right amidst the buzzing city, is Roots 9 Kitchen & Bar which offers great food and a spectacular setting. The menu boasts of Indian, continental and Asian cuisine. We recommend you their signature mocktails 'angry cucumber' and 'at your own risk'. Their signature salad was full of fresh and unique greens; and the mushroom cappuccino which is thick, flavoury and creamy. The Indian spread comprised the signature dal makhani that had been cooked for 48-hours, Hyderabadi kothmiri chicken, which is green chicken curry with spices and coriander. The bread basket comprised the makhmali Lucknowi naan, sumak roti and zattar roti. For desserts try their tiramisu and baklava. A meal for two will set you back INR 1,400.

Mamagoto is an eight-year old ‘fusion pan-Asian café’, with a casual-cool vibe, and fun, quirky decor. Originally started in Delhi, they now have over a dozen eateries across India. Both the food and drinks at Mamagoto are a blend of traditional and modern Asian cuisine, inspired by their team’s travels. Don’t expect “authentic” food – but what you can look forward to, is trying new and inventive dishes, with familiar flavours. Go for their ebi tempura roll, katsu chicken roll, and hot basil chicken cups, to start with. For more substantial food, try their ‘teriyaki meal in a bowl’ and ‘the laksa tribute’ . Hard-core meat lovers can order their ‘smoky BBQ pork belly bowl’, ‘Mamagoto Goreng’ and their new ‘Thai Phucka bites’. End your meal on an indulgent note, with their home-made coconut and palm sugar ice cream, or the seasonal ‘sticky rice with mango’. A meal for two will cost you INR 2,000.

Take a trip to Katraj for a delicious thali. Ahilyadevi Thali gets cooked entirely in their kitchen on the traditional wood-fire chulhas. Their unlimited veg thali costing INR 300, consists of two types of suki bhaji, one patal bhaji and varan with Indrayani rice. You can choose between a chapati or a bhakri. They also have dahi wati made by them, kurdai, papad, koshimbir and solkadi. Vegetarians can also try their paneer pakoda and sweet, hot and crispy jalebis that come with the thali. From their other dishes, you must try their kharda chicken, raan, kheema karanjee, paya soup, loin chops, and vajadi fry. On an average, a meal for two would cost you around INR 1,200.

Enjoy delicious vegetarian food that even carnivores will like at Nine Square in Creaticity Mall in Yerawada. Their signature chaats include pani puri, black jack sev puri made with charcoal papdis, and they have other interesting items like pav bhaji spring rolls, slow-roasted tomato, tandoor ki bhuna kadai, bharwan baigan bharta, kadhai paneer, rich dal makhani, choora paratha and butter naans. Also try their gourmet ice-creams and signature desserts like the Belgium chocolate pastry, Purani Dilli rabri falooda and ice-cream flavours like guava chilli, Turkish hazelnut and Lonavala chikki, among others. They also have corporate lunch packages starting at INR 299. A meal for two will cost you around INR 1,000.

Sorted Delicatessen in Kalyani Nagar, serving delicious food that’s entirely grain-free, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free. Sorted’s menu includes plenty of options for carbs, meat, dairy, and of course, vegans, diabetics, and vegetarians. On the menu are breakfast items, soups, salads, sandwiches, burgers, pasta, mains, gluten-free ‘nudo’ pizza, smoothies, juices, cold brew coffee, teas, and desserts. So, instead of wheat and rice, you’ll find alternatives like buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth, etc. Try the lamb gyros in a buckwheat wrap and a ‘coco brew’ coffee made with coconut cream and sweetened with a bit of honey. Do try their grain-free waffles, butter chicken, banoffee smoothie, and almond-cauliflower-whey base pepperoni pizza.  A meal for two costs around INR 1,500.

The next time you visit Creaticity Mall in Yerawada, make sure you stop by to taste some amazing ethnic grub at Abejos, which is known for its Awadhi-Persian cuisine. The place has subtle decor and is themed around the ancient fable of two lovers, Yo and Ha who travelled to Persia and brought back some of their experiences and the flavours they tried to their hometown, Lucknow. That is when there was an amalgamation of Persian flavours and the Awadhi cuisine and hence, the name Abejo, meaning water of barley or beer in Persian, came into being. Try out some unique dishes such as Nalli Nihari, Subz Korma, Roghani Jhinga. We absolutely loved their signature dishes- Sheermal and the Raan Mussallam. Do not forget to try the Dal Makhni- it's delectable! A meal for two costs about INR 1000.