Pune is one of those cities that a lot of travellers completely sleep on. You fly into Mumbai, maybe you head to Goa, and Pune just sort of sits there in between, quietly doing its thing. Which is a shame, because anyone who’s actually spent time there knows it has a food scene that would make most Australian cities genuinely envious.
Fine dining in particular has exploded here. There are rooftop restaurants sitting 72 metres above the city, Awadhi kitchens that have been slow-cooking the same legendary kebabs for over 25 years, and a Southeast Asian institution that started with a couple travelling through eight countries and taking notes. The range is ridiculous, honestly. And because Pune isn’t quite on the same tourist radar as Mumbai or Delhi, you’re often getting world-class food without fighting for a table or paying inflated tourist prices.
Here’s where to eat well in Pune.
Aasmana – The Ritz-Carlton, Pune
If you’re only going to splash out once on this trip, make it Aasmana. Full stop.
It’s on the 18th floor of The Ritz-Carlton, with panoramic views across the city skyline and the adjoining golf course, and I’ll be honest, the view alone is worth the trip up. There’s an outdoor rooftop bar for pre-dinner drinks, an indoor dining space broken into different lounge-style sections, and the kind of quiet attentiveness from staff that you only get at places that genuinely care.
The food is deeply Indian. No fusion for fusion’s sake, no unnecessary flourishes. The signature Dal Aasmana is their take on dal makhani, and it’s best paired with the khasta chur-chur parathas — the kind of combination that makes you wonder why you ever bothered ordering anything else. My pick, though, is the BBQ tamarind lamb chops. The tamarind marinade has this deep, sticky tang to it, and there’s a little dollop of onion tartare on each chop that pulls the whole thing together. Order those, find a seat near the window, and you’re set. It’s the perfect spot for a romantic date, a birthday, or simply when you want to treat yourself to a top-tier rooftop experience in Pune.
One thing worth knowing: Aasmana is accessible exclusively to guests 21 years of age or older, so leave the younger kids back at the hotel.
What to order: Dal Aasmana, BBQ tamarind lamb chops, rock shrimp Koliwada, kulfi falooda
Good for: Celebrating something, business dinners, date nights
Location: The Ritz-Carlton, Golf Course Square, Airport Road, Yerawada, Pune
Hours: Daily 6 PM to 1 AM
Price: Around ₹2,000+ per person (approximately A$29+ per person)
Chingari – Sheraton Grand Pune Bund Garden Hotel
There’s a version of Chingari that exists in every “best restaurants in Pune” list ever written, and it’s there for good reason. This place has been doing what it does for over 25 years. It’s dedicated to the rich, royal kitchens of Lucknow and the slow-cooked traditions of Awadhi cuisine, and it has absolutely no interest in chasing trends. That’s the point. You come here because some things don’t need to change.
The restaurant sits adjacent to the outdoor swimming pool, covered by a high wooden roof with beautiful open latticework screens, parquet flooring with ebony inlay, and copper-coloured water goblets that catch the candlelight. It’s the kind of setting that feels considered rather than constructed, which is harder to pull off than it sounds.
At the heart of everything is Master Chef Gulam Qureshi, who started working in the kitchens of Lucknow at age 12, learning from his father and the legendary Chef Imtiaz Qureshi. He’s been at the Sheraton Grand Pune since 2002 and his Gosht Dum Biryani — sealed, slow-cooked, outrageously aromatic — is the dish I’d order first and probably last. It’s the kind of biryani that makes every other biryani you’ve had feel like a rough draft.
- Gilawat-e-Chingari: Their take on the galouti kebab, made with tender lamb and reportedly over 100 spices. Melt-in-your-mouth doesn’t really cover it.
- Dal Chingari: Slow-cooked for hours. Smoky, creamy, deeply satisfying.
- Gosht Dum Biryani: Aromatic, layered, and absolutely worth the price of admission.
- Bhattiyaar ke Jhinge: Jumbo prawns that bring a coastal richness to an otherwise northern menu — a lovely surprise.
Book ahead. This one fills up fast and the dinner-only hours (7 PM to 11 PM) mean the window is narrower than you’d think.
Location: Sheraton Grand Pune Bund Garden Hotel, Raja Bahadur Mill Road, Sangamvadi, Pune
Hours: Daily 7 PM to 11 PM
Price: Around ₹4,500 for two (approximately A$65)
Al Di La – Conrad Pune
The pitch for Al Di La is simple: Italian food, rooftop setting, 72 metres above the city, with a DJ and a walk-in wine cellar. It’s a lot. And somehow it works.
Located at Conrad Pune, it’s the tallest rooftop bar in the city, and the skyline views at night are genuinely spectacular. Inside, there are French doors, chandeliers above the private and semi-private dining areas, and seating that manages to feel intimate despite the scale of everything. The outdoor alfresco section is where you want to be for sunset drinks before you move inside for dinner.
The Italian menu is a mix of traditional and contemporary, and if you’re asking me, go straight for the tiramisu. I know, ordering dessert first is not the advice — but hear me out. Al Di La’s tiramisu has become something of a legend among regulars, and once you’ve had it you’ll understand why people keep bringing it up unprompted. Order it, then work backwards through the Rigatoni Alla Vodka and the Chicken Parmigiana. The gnocchi with pesto sauce is also consistently called out by regulars and very much worth adding to the mix.
Go on a weekday if you can — weekends get loud, and you’ll actually be able to have a conversation.
One small note: some venues add optional staff contribution charges to the bill by default, and Al Di La is one of them. You can always ask to have it removed if you’d prefer to tip in cash.
What to order: Rigatoni Alla Vodka, Chicken Parmigiana, gnocchi with pesto, tiramisu
Good for: Date nights, celebrations, sunset drinks before dinner
Location: Conrad Pune, 7 Mangaldas Road, Sangamwadi, Pune
Hours: Daily 5 PM to 1 AM
Price: Around ₹5,200 for two (approximately A$75)
Malaka Spice – Koregaon Park
Nearly three decades in, and Malaka Spice is still the benchmark. Ask anyone in Pune where to take a visitor for dinner and there’s a good chance this comes up first.
It was founded in 1997 by Praful and Cheeru Chandawarkar — Praful had just left a career in investment banking, and the two of them travelled extensively across Southeast Asia before opening their first restaurant in the bylanes of Koregaon Park. That origin story matters, because you can taste it. Chef Cheeru’s recipes draw directly from the kitchens of Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Japan and Cambodia, and almost everything on the menu is made using produce from their own farm about 45 kilometres outside the city.
The outdoor seating is candlelit with trees all around, which makes it outrageously romantic. The indoor section is brighter and better for families or groups. My personal order every single time is the Penang curry — it’s rich without being heavy, and the balance of coconut, lemongrass and chilli is just perfect. Follow it with the jaggery ice cream for dessert, which sounds like a small thing but is genuinely one of those flavours that stays with you. The Thai iced tea is also non-negotiable.
At around A$26 for two, this is also the best value on this list by a considerable margin.
What to order: Penang curry, khao suey, pad Thai, garlicky tiger prawns, jaggery ice cream
Good for: Date nights, group dinners, anyone who loves Southeast Asian food
Location: Lane 5, Opposite Oxford Properties, North Main Road, Koregaon Park, Pune
Hours: Daily 11:30 AM to 11:30 PM
Price: Around ₹1,800 for two (approximately A$26)
Sorriso – Marriott Suites Pune
Not every meal in Pune needs to be a production. Sometimes you just want somewhere genuinely good, comfortable, and unfussy. That’s Sorriso.
It’s inside the Marriott Suites in Koregaon Park Annexe, with an open kitchen, a wood-fired pizza section, and a relaxed alfresco area that’s particularly nice on a cooler Pune evening. The energy here is different from the big rooftop venues — softer lighting, lower noise levels, the kind of place where a long lunch genuinely drifts into late afternoon without anyone minding.
The mushroom cappuccino soup, Bruschetta, wood-fired pizzas, and spaghetti allo Zafarano are all regular crowd favourites, but the dish I’d put in front of you without hesitation is the Risotto ai Funghi e Tartufo. Creamy, rich, finished with truffle oil and a parmesan froth — it’s the kind of risotto that makes you want to eat very slowly so it lasts longer. Pasta is made in-house. Service is warm without being over the top.
What to order: Wood-fired pizzas, mushroom risotto with truffle oil, handmade pasta, Dark Chocolate Pave
Good for: Romantic dinners, long lunches, a lower-key night out
Location: Marriott Suites Pune, 81 Mundhwa Road, Koregaon Park Annexe, Mundhwa, Pune
Barometer – Kothrud
Not every great fine dining experience in Pune sits inside a five-star hotel. Barometer in Kothrud proves that pretty convincingly.
It’s an all-day restaurant known for its ambience and food quality, open from breakfast right through to dinner, and it has built a devoted local following entirely on the strength of what it puts on the plate. The interiors have a raw, industrial edge — exposed finishes, spot-lit tables — but it never feels cold. The staff are genuinely friendly in a way that feels unrehearsed, and the cocktail bar is one of the better ones in the neighbourhood.
The menu is broad: Indian, Thai, Lebanese, Italian, Mexican. That kind of range can be a red flag at lesser restaurants, but Barometer pulls it off. My recommendation is the Burmese Khow Suey for mains — it’s one of those dishes that doesn’t show up on nearly enough menus, and Barometer does it really well. The coconut broth, the crispy noodles, the little condiment dishes that come alongside it — it’s the most fun dish on the table. Start with the Chicken Fajita Kebab, finish with tiramisu, and ask for the Pink Lady cocktail by name. That combination is what keeps regulars coming back.
Reserve ahead, especially on weekends. Locals love this place and tables go quickly.
What to order: Chicken Fajita Kebab, Burmese Khow Suey, cocktails, tiramisu
Good for: Date nights, group dinners, anyone wanting something beyond the hotel scene
Location: Kothrud, Pune (multiple locations — check their website for the current address nearest to you)
Price: Around ₹3,500 to ₹4,000 for two including drinks (approximately A$51 to A$58)
Practical Tips for Fine Dining in Pune
- Book ahead. Especially on Friday and Saturday nights, and especially for the rooftop venues. Even mid-week reservations are worth making — some of these places are genuinely popular.
- Dress code. Smart casual is the expectation at most of these restaurants. You don’t need to go full formal, but thongs and a singlet won’t cut it.
- Dinner-only restaurants. Chingari and Aasmana both open in the evening only, so plan accordingly if you’re hoping for a leisurely early sitting.
- Service charges. Some venues add optional staff contribution charges to the bill without flagging it. You can ask for these to be removed if you’d prefer to tip directly in cash.
- Currency note. All prices above are in Indian Rupees (₹) with approximate Australian Dollar conversions based on current exchange rates. Rates fluctuate, so check before you travel.
Pune rewards the people who actually take the time to explore it. The food scene here is one of the best arguments for adding it to your itinerary — a genuine mix of India’s culinary traditions, world-class technique, and a city that just really loves to eat well. Whether you end up on a rooftop watching the city lights come on at dusk or tucked into a candlelit courtyard in Koregaon Park, you’re in for a good night.
