Exotica, Yerawada, Pune

Restaurant Name: Exotica, Yerawada, Pune
Phone: +917276305566, +917276307788
Address: 7th Floor, Tower C, Panchshil Tech Park, Near Pune Golf Course, Yerawada, Pune, Maharashtra 411006 India
Time: 12:00 Noon – 11:00 AM
Meals for two: Rs. 1,400
Cuisines: North Indian, Mughlai, Maharashtrian, Chinese, Desserts, Beverages, Oriental, Sichuan
Facilities: Home Delivery, Takeaway Available, Full Bar Available, Indoor Seating, Table booking recommended, Outdoor Seating, Romantic Dining, Smoking Area, Brunch, Desserts and Bakes

Exotica, previously known as Zafraan, has been around for over a decade. When it opened, it was one of the first al fresco, roof-top restaurants housed in a high rise building. Exotica has been a pioneer in brunches and they have been doing Sunday brunches much much before they became a rage in the city.

Exotica, Yerawada, Pune: Decor

Exotica is located on the rooftop of Panchshil Tech Park in Yerawada. The sprawling space has a range of different seating arrangements. The most striking feature of the space is the panoramic view of the city. Throughout the day, you can enjoy a cool breeze with your food and drinks. Find a find a table by the terrace ledge to enjoy the stunning view of the area. The decor is elegant and seating is an eclectic mix of wrought iron chairs, faux wicker chairs and loungy sofas. The large planters with palm trees and other planters elevate the ambience. With live music on select weekends, Exotica is great place to hang out with friends or chill with your family.

Exotica, Yerawada, Pune: Food

When in comes to weekend brunches, Exotica has been a pioneer of sorts. Outside five star hotels, they were one of the few restaurants that offered a wide multi-cuisine spread over brunch, lunch and dinner. Last weekend, I visited Exotica to experience their lively Sunday brunch. We picked their brunch with unlimited drinks offer. Started with their select cocktails that are included in the brunch. The yo melon martini, gimlet and white wine sangrias were are top picks. There are a range of live and buffet counters for the brunch. There were more than ten starters to pick from. The hara bhara kebabs and khumb exotica (tandoori mushroom) were absolutely delicious. The roti pe boti (spiced lamb morsels served on a cocktail paratha) were my personal favorite. But the other chicken kebabs were equally good. The highlight for us was the live grill section where the chef was grilling fish and prawns fresh. The tandoori bekti was top-notch. The whole fish was marinated with Indian spices and hung curd and grilled to perfection. With our unlimited cocktails getting refilled and with the variety of starters, the main course section was ignored. But we did manage to get a taste of the gosht dum biryani which was delicious. The biryani was fragrant and the mutton was cooked just right. One of our friends with a small appetite, opted out of the brunch and ordered a few dishes a ala carte. The dal zafraan, their take on the daal makhani was smooth, creamy and quite enjoyable. The frontier chicken curry was a tad bit disappointing. The chicken was cooked unevenly and it was bit too spicy. Getting back to the buffet, there were more than eight desserts on offer. We could not get past the live jalebi counter, which was quite a hit with the crowd. Small jalebis were being fried fresh and soaked in the sugar syrup. These jalebis were hot, crispy and delicious and tasted even better when dunked in a creamy rabdi.

Plus & Minus:

Exotica has been serving great food for more than a decade. They have a loyal customer base, particularly families, that keep coming back. No wonder they have been a favourite for so many years. While some of the furniture and decor might seem a bit dated, their service and food quality has been inconsistently good.