There's a classy concept destination in Pune that combines a art gallery with a contemporary European restaurant. Nestled in the quiet, lush-green lane 8 of Koregaon Park is Vida Heydary Contemporary aka VHC that showcases brilliant works of renowned as well as promising Indian and global artists.
Our visit to VHC was simply magical. Not only did we get to admire the gorgeous contemporary art pieces by renowned artists but we also embarked upon on a lip-smacking culinary journey. The space is founded by Vida Heydari, an art dealer with a rich experience of 14 years in global art. All the staff took safety precautions and made wearing masks mandatory inside the gallery. The ongoing art show is known as 'Origins Of A Perennial' curated by eminent artist and curator Bose Krishnamchari. We saw beautiful art pieces ranging from net canvas paintings, brick art to Bamboo wooden ensembles by five Indian Contemporary artists. Every five weeks, they on-board five different artists who display their work.
The outdoor restaurant area has romantic vibes and is definitely one of the best places for a candle-lit dinners in Pune. We dined among the foliage that represented Ikat Art. The setting is thoughtful and artsy and the contemporary European menu is designed by none other than Celebrity Chef Ajay Chopra. They also have a kids menu!
We enjoyed a lavish spread of amuse bouche, pea-parmesan soup, tomato-basil soup, goat cheese salad, truffle fries, beetroot burger, tri-coloured pasta, mushroom-truffle risotto, and pizza pane. Everything was absolutely delicious especially the desserts such as raspberry sorbet, yoghurt ice-cream and berry tender coconut parfait. The food is healthy and the menu has dishes for vegetarians as well as meat eaters. We opted for veg dishes but they told us that people love the lamb shanks and pork ribs.
There is a small area upstairs where they hold art pop-ups and exhibits. It is also a bar/coffee/high-tea lounge where you can sip on hot cuppa coffee, enjoy finger sandwiches, high-tea bites and other artisanal desserts. Drop by for Sunday brunche that are super popular. The non-alcoholic brunch is priced at INR 1495++.