Effingut, Koregaon Park, Pune Beer Restaurant

Restaurant Name: Effingut, Koregaon Park, Pune
Phone: +918390907410, +918090907410
Address: Plot 389, Lane 6, Koregaon Park, Pune, Maharashtra 411036 India
Time: 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Meals for two: Rs. 2,000
Cuisines: North Indian, Fast Food, Beverages
Facilities: Home Delivery, Takeaway Available, Full Bar Available, Live Sports Screening, Live Music, Table booking recommended, Wifi, Valet Parking Available, Outdoor Seating, Indoor Seating, LGBTQIA Friendly, Smoking Area

Since the craft beer culture kick-started in India, Pune has seen a rise in microbreweries and the demand for craft beers, ciders, ales, and other brews is increasing. Started in 2014, Effingut Brewerkz has become an absolute favourite among beer lovers and has emerged as one of the best pubs in the city. They are located in Koregaon Park and Baner. They have recently launched delivery and takeaway outlets called Effingut 2 Go in Kothrud and Camp.With the ever-fluctuating dine-in restrictions in the state, I visited the Baner outlet over a beer brunch on Tuesday.

Effingut, Koregaon Park, Pune: Decor

The most striking feature is the area dedicated to retro music. When you enter, you are greeted by shelves full of old vinyl records, cassettes, and CDs along with retro music players. The retro theme continues with a wall adorned with old speakers and an old Rajdoot bike that hangs from the ceiling in the middle of the space. There are colourful and kitschy posters lining the walls. The wooden flooring and wooden furniture add to the cosy ambience. The seating is a mix of leather upholstered sofas and chairs and wooden high-chairs. While the ground floor is dedicated to the pub, the mezzanine floor houses a cafe.

Effingut, Koregaon Park, Pune: Food

Effingut is known for its craft beers and at any given time around 8-10 beers are available on tap. The classics are available throughout the year, but there are some seasonal brews that use local, Indian ingredients. Going beyond beers, they often create drinks involving new styles from around the globe. After being seated, our server graciously offered us complimentary tasters of most craft beers available. Each was unique and distinct and after a lot of deliberation, we picked the refreshing Hefeweizen (A traditional Bavarian wheat beer with hints of banana, cloves and bubblegum), the ever-dependable Apple Cider and the ingenious and delicious So(u)l Mead (A honey-fermented fizzy drink with flavours of kokum and ginger derived from the flavours of sol-kadhi). The food menu is a mix of Indian, Oriental, and Continental dishes specially selected to complement the drinks and beers. For dine-in, currently, they have made a part of their menu available. Along with an elaborate appetizers and bar bites section, the menu features dishes handpicked by Effingut loyalists. We started with a range of appetizers, of which the Mangalorean prawn ghee roast and the gunpowder onion rings were the best. We kept the starters coming and the beer flowing. The buttermilk fried chicken was delightfully crunchy but would have liked more flavour. The Kumbh-e-Galouti or mushroom galouti kebabs, were stodgy and a tad disappointing. Both the Margherita and BBQ chicken pizzas were delicious and undoubtedly the best accompaniment to the craft beers. After those scrumptious and filling appetizers, we decided to go slow with the mains. We picked Thai green curry served with rice and butter chicken served with laccha paratha and rice. The green curry was fragrant and delicious. The generous use of green chillies made this a rather desi version of Thai curry.The butter chicken was smoky, creamy and extremely enjoyable. There are hardly any choices in the dessert menu, but the chocolate cake aptly named death by chocolate was gooey, decadent and delicious.

Plus & Minus:

Effingut’s constant experimentation and innovation with their craft beers, fun gigs, lively atmosphere and relaxed vibe have ensured a loyal customer base who keep coming. It has emerged as the perfect hangout ‘adda’ for a lot of Punekars and one of the best pubs in the city. The place does get noisy and loud at times.