Pune’s New Apetite

The diners are ready, ideas are flowing
and the talent is here. Pune is ready
to push more than a few culinary
boundaries, says Vardaan Marwah,
chef-partner at Farro, the city’s most
exciting new-age restaurant
By Vardaan Marwah

For the longest time, Pune was a city that had a deep and traditional food culture with not just the quintessential Puneri food but also cosmopolitan Parsi, iconic south Indian, Anglo-Indian mess

staples not to mention pubs for the young techies. But this did not necessarily mean that its dining culture pushed boundaries. The restaurants people grew up with were warm neighbourhood institutions. They were dependable, familiar and comforting. But if you wanted a truly unique dining experience or a cocktail program that felt global and exciting, you would often find yourself driving down to Mumbai.

For years that was simply the reality. Pune had wonderful mom and pop establishments, but the city did not yet have restaurants built around culinary storytelling, experimentation or immersive dining. Today, Pune feels curious. Diners are asking more questions about ingredients, about techniques, about where their food comes from. There

Craft beer has long been part of the city’s social culture, with today’s beer drinkers experiencing innovative brews through collaborations, local sourcing and mindful brewing practices. Oi Brewhouse entered that space about a year ago, showcasing Oi Brewing Co.’s philosophy of sustainable yet fun beers inspired by local culture and customised to the Indian palate. The response has been incredibly encouraging. The city understands breweries instinctively, as they feel social, relaxed and celebratory in a way that fits Pune perfectly. Within this evolving landscape, Sip & Savour Hospitality, co-founded by Aman Talreja, has been building restaurants that each explore a different dimension of hospitality. Between Murphies, Farro and Oi Brewhouse, the idea has never been to replicate one formula. Each space has its own personality, its own energy and its own relationship with the diner.

And yet, despite the progress, Pune is still only scratching

the surface. The city still has

is an openness to new formats and cuisines that simply did not exist earlier. Restaurants are no longer just places to eat. They are spaces where people come to discover something new.

For restaurateurs and chefs, that shift changes everything. Cuisine-led restaurants are beginning to find their place in the city. At Farro, where I am a chef-partner, our attempt has been to bring together new-age Indian sensibilities with Mediterranean influences, building a menu that feels layered but still approachable. It is not about being experimental for the sake of it, but about presenting flavours in ways that make diners pause for a moment. At Tsuki, the kitchen explores a completely different direction

What excites me most about Pune right now is that the city feels like it is discovering its own culinary confidence surprisingly  few  dedicated cocktail bars compared to its appetite for going out. Which is why we are currently working on bringing a new bar into the mix. The idea is to create a space where the bar itself becomes the main character. Not just a place to grab a drink before dinner, but a destination where the craft, the storytelling and the atmosphere all revolve around the glass. What excites

with Japanese, Thai and Cantonese influences, reflecting how Pune’s palate is becoming increasingly global.

Meanwhile, the bar scene, which once felt limited, is now quietly gaining momentum. Cobbler & Crew has been a major force in that shift. The bar has earned recognition not just within India but on international platforms as well, and it has helped show that a serious cocktail program can exist in Pune without losing its personality. There are also places like Aragma that are introducing formats the city did not traditionally see, such as tasting menus and slower, more thoughtful dining experiences. Of course, if there is one thing Pune has always done confidently, it is breweries.

me most about Pune right now is that the city feels like it

is discovering its own culinary confidence. Five years ago, many restaurateurs looked outward for validation. Today, there is a growing belief that Pune can create experiences that stand comfortably alongside any major dining city in the country. There is also a quiet camaraderie between people in the industry. When one restaurant raises the bar, the rest of us feel inspired to do better. That shared momentum is what will ultimately define Pune’s food culture. The diners are ready. The talent is here. The ideas are flowing. And if the last few years are anything to go by, the most exciting chapters of Pune’s dining story are still ahead.

Pic: L-R Aman Talreja, Co-Founder, FARRO, Oi and Vardaan Marwa