Restaurant Review

This Restaurant Review was contributed by Mayuri Kirloskar. Mayuri heads the Pune operations of Blue Lotus.

Sohos: A fine dining lounge

The spirit of Pune is best defined by its lively and youthful junta – one that’s perpetually on the move. And what do these young men and women like to do during the weekends? Nothing drastically different from what their counterparts the world over do. Watch films; party; and yes, eat out frequently.

Sadly, the quality of nightlife in Pune has suffered in recent times. Mr. D N Jadhav, the new Commissioner of Police, wanted to make his presence felt and his first step was to impose restrictions on all city pubs and discotheques - no serving alcohol after 11.30 p.m.

Recently, when deciding on a venue for a birthday outing, my friends and I zeroed in on "Sohos", counted amongst the more happening lounge bars/restaurants in Pune. Sohos made news recently when it picked up the award for the "Best Lounge bar", handed out by the prestigious Times Group. Located in Kalyaninagar, it is the ideal spot to relax and unwind in after a frenzied, feverish, mind-numbing week.

It’s a huge place, with a dance floor and bar inside and a lounge/restaurant setting outside. The ambience is pleasant; some would even say romantic. And the menu card gives options aplenty: Punjabi, Chinese, and sumptuous seafood.

It being a Sunday evening the place was chock-full with an equally big crowd waiting outside. While we sat at our table planning for the week ahead, the youngsters took to the dance floor, grooving and swaying to the music. Looking at them I experienced a wave of nostalgia; maybe even the slightest twinge of jealousy.

For starters, we ordered Tandoori Chicken and Hara bhara kabab. Since most of us were working the next day, we had to give the alcoholic beverages a miss. Here I must mention that the service was quick and efficient. After we’d more or less polished off the starters – tender and mouthwatering - it was time to decide on the main course. We ordered some delicious paneer tikka masala accompanied by the softest naans and rotis. In non-vegetarian fare there was the succulent rogenjosh and the creamy butter chicken masala. Our taste buds were tingling with delight.

The decision to go to Sohos was undoubtedly the right one. The attendants were well-dressed and courteous, the décor elegant, the food top-class and the presentation excellent. There was a look of contentment on everyone’s face. Now a meal is incomplete without dessert, so afterwards we hit Baskin Robbins. A nice way to wind up what had been an absolutely delightful evening.

A final word about pricing: most of the dishes range between Rs. 150 and Rs. 250. So a decent meal for two should cost anything from Rs. 500 – Rs. 600. And let me add that it’s great value for money.