Sunday, August 12, 2012

Pesto Pesto

Pesto Pesto in PuneAmong the many Italian restaurants now in the city, I think Pesto Pesto is among the best when it comes to reproducing the authentic tastes of Italy.  Located on the top floor of Onyx Towers in Koregaon Park, window-side seating at this restaurant makes for a romantic dinner experience.  But if you want to sample a larger variety of items, you may want to be there for the weekend lunch buffet.

Weekend Lunch Buffet at Pesto Pesto

The restaurant is simple, contemporary and casual but elegantly so.  A variety of salads, cold cuts and cheese were laid out on a long table.  There also was corn on the cob, hummus and a good selection of breads on hand.  Every item was well-prepared and the ingredients top notch.

Italtian fare at Pesto Pesto Pune


Virgin cocktail at Pesto Pesto Pune

While every second restaurant now conjures up Italian food, not everyone can boast of authentic Italian flavours.  Having returned only recently from a wonderful Roman vacation, we were delighted to find a place where can periodically re-live our culinary experiences from that city.

The creamy mushroom 'cappuccino' soup they served at our table was rich and flavourful and served in a   coffee cup!

Hot cappuccino soup at Pesto Pesto Pune

The mini pizzas were delightful too though I prefer a real pizza with thinner crusts.  A selection of eclectic toppings made them quite interesting.

Pesto Pesto Pune

Then came the roasted chicken on a iron griddle.  Tender inside but crusty and flavourful in every bite, this was another winner.  We also ordered small portions of pasta which were pretty good.

Roased Chicken at Pesto Pesto Pune

Desserts were more ordinary.  While they did have a reasonable selection, there was nothing particularly memorable.

Dessert selection at Pesto Pesto Pune

Overall, Pesto Pesto shows considerable promise.  If they can maintain the quality of their offering as the dining scene continues to mature, this will be the place for lovers of the real deal.  I expect to be back at this lovely restaurant very soon.

6 comments:

Lazy Pineapple said...

I have been meaning to go here but have read bad reviews. I enjoy Italian food at Cafe Mangii, Spaghetti Kitchen and Dario's.

Will give it a try since you recommend it :)

Shantanu said...

@lazy pineapple: The mixed reviews did put me off for a while too. Not sure if there is a problem with consistency. This was my first and only visit there.

Paroma said...

Great reading your blogs, Shantanu. We've recently moved to Pune and are trying to find a decent Italian restaurant. Sounds like we should give this a try. One question though: did they only serve chicken or did they have other meat too?

Shantanu said...

@Paroma: I am sure they have other meats. This was the Sunday lunch buffet. We ordered a grilled chicken, but there were several ham selections in the cold cuts too.

Anonymous said...

Not sure what happened to the comment I just typed.

Anyway, I was just saying that I love your food posts and how it is making me very hungry right now.

Shantanu said...

swati: Thanks! :)