Level5 Bistro and Bar, Erandwane, Pune

Restaurant Name: Level 5 Bistro and Bar, Erandwane, Pune 
Phone: +91 7030933061
Address: 5th Floor, CTS 1365, Above Kalinga Veg Gourmet Kitchen, House of Nosh, Gulawani Maharaj Path, opposite Mehendale Garage, Erandwane, Pune, Maharashtra India
Time: 11 AM to 12 Midnight
Meals for two: Rs. –  
Cuisines: European, Italian, American
Facilities: Home Delivery, Full Bar Available, Live Music 

A global menu with a lot of meat options was unheard of in the Kothrud area a few years back. But this is gradually changing and Kothrudkars are embracing the change by thronging to these restaurants with new-age menus. Level5 Bistro and Bar is one such new addition to this list. Owners Abhishek and Amrita Shetty have recently opened this all day dining restaurant, on the fifth level above their popular Kalinga Veg Gourmet Kitchen in Erandwane.

Level5 Bistro and Bar, Erandwane, Pune: Decor

The décor is elegant with wooden furniture and an exposed bricks look to the walls and pillars. The addition of interesting posters from across the world is great and goes perfectly well with the theme of the restaurant. A whole section is dedicated to an impressive bar counter with a well stocked and well displayed bar.

Level5 Bistro and Bar, Erandwane, Pune: Food

The impressive food menu at Level5 has been curated by celebrity chef Amit Puri and features mostly global cuisine with a lot of emphasis on European dishes. The extensive drinks menu is curated by mixology legend Shatbhi Basu. We started our food exploration with the intensely flavored seafood chowder which was served in freshly baked bread bowl and topped with grilled prawns. The chowder was extremely hearty and was packed with the seafood flavor. The bread bowl which soaked up some of the chowder was a delight to eat once the soup was over. We paired the soup with the rippini salad; slow roasted sweet peppers rolled with cream cheese mousse tossed with arugula, roasted pistachios and balsamic vinegar. The salad was fresh and tasty and the cheese stuffed peppers took this salad to another level.

From the small bites section, we ordered the stuffed jacket potatoes stuffed with pulled chicken grilled with guntur chilies topped with pickled peppers, cilantro, barbecue sauce and cheese. A stellar dish, highly recommended. From the signature pizzas section, we recommend the creamy spinach, caramelized onions and feta and the lamb meatballs with grilled onions. The crust on the pizzas was delightfully crispy and even with the generous toppings, it managed to stay crunchy. We were spoilt for choices in the pasta section and we picked the classic aglio olio (Spaghetti tossed in olive oil, chilli flakes, sun dried tomatoes and herbs) and ocean medley (Buckwheat pasta tossed with prawns, fish and squid, tomato ragout sauce and flavored with capers, olives and Italian herbs). The aglio olio was simple, yet flavorful and the ocean medley was unique and the seafood mix elevated the taste manifold. We probably kept the best dish for last – a slow cooked pork belly served with gratin dauphinois potatoes, caramelized apple jus and apple chutney. The pork was cooked to perfection and the potatoes were rightly creamy. The apple chutney and jus, albeit a bit sweet, were the perfect accompaniments to the pork.

The chocolate bomb or the chocolate lava cake served with berry compote and vanilla ice cream seemed the most apt dish to end our delicious meal.

Level5 Bistro and Bar, Erandwane, Pune: Plus & Minus

Though the staff and servers were very warm and courteous, the service at Level5 seemed a bit slow at times. Nonetheless, Level5 Bistro and Bar impresses with its global food menu, delicious food and the well stocked bar and is definitely a great addition to the food scene of Kothrud and Pune.