Eskobar, Baner, Pune

Restaurant Name: Eskobar, Baner, Pune
Phone: +917057050808, +917057050606
Address: Mangaldas Road, Near Bund Garden Road, Pune, Maharashtra 411001 India
Time: 03:00 PM – 01:30 AM
Meals for two: Rs. 1,600
Cuisines: Italian, North Indian, Continental, Desserts, Beverages
Facilities: Home Delivery, Takeaway Available, Full Bar Available, Live Entertainment, Valet Parking Available, Outdoor Seating, Smoking Area, Live Sports Screening, Indoor Seating, Desserts and Bakes

With the heat getting unbearable by the day, I have been venturing out only in the evenings when it is comparatively cooler. In the last few weeks I have explored some excellent resto-bars in the city. On friends’ recommendations, this week I visited Eskobar, an evening only restaurant and bar in Balewadi.

Eskobar, Baner, Pune: Decor

Eskobar is located in a relatively quieter lane near the bustling Balewadi High Street. It is a well-designed sprawling space with a variety of seating sections ranging from loungey, comfortable sofas to high chairs and tables. There is a section dedicated to private dining too. In the centre of it all is a large, glitzy island bar with bar stools around. The lighting is dim and changes with the theme of the night. On weekends,some sections organically convert into a dance floor. Every week there are live gigs and DJ nights happening here. The music can get loud at times, but it is absolutely suitable for the hip,young crowd.

Eskobar, Baner, Pune: Food

The bar menu is extensive and along with the regular spirits, they offer an interesting range of classic, signature, premium and tiki cocktails. We got the classic cosmopolitan and dirty martini and the best of the lot,their signature Eskobar legacy (vodka,espresso,hazelnut and cinnamon). The food menu is a mix of different cuisines. The great thing about the food menu is that there are no complicated dishes and no dish descriptions. Perfectly thought-out classic dishes that sit perfectly well on a resto-bar’s menu. The list of appetizers, snacks and bar snacks is long and has a lot of options to pick from. The vada pao baos were presented beautifully along with a generous sprinkling of garlic chutney and a mayo dip. The wadas were tasty, made tastier by the accompanying lasoon chutney. These can be renamed as vada pao sliders as the bread was not a bao. The cheese croquettes, naughtily named croquettish, were a letdown. The size of the croquettes was too big and the potato covering overpowered the dish. The thecha tangdi kebabs packed a punch. They were naturally spicy, but absolutely delicious. To balance the spice we also got the butter garlic prawns which were really tasty. The Kung Pao chicken,though not the most authentic with the recipe,was absolutely delicious. The chicken was succulent and the sauce was tasty. We got seconds of this one. Along with the appetisers, we also got pizzas which were great accompaniments to our drinks and cocktails. The paneer tikka has generous chunks of tandoori paneer along with peppers and the BBQ chicken pizza had mushrooms, peppers and chicken with barbecue sauce. We enjoyed both the pizzas. They had an evenly thin crust which was crunchy and the toppings were generous. We decided to give the desi mains a pass this time and for mains picked the Thai red and green curries and the southern fried chicken burger. The chicken burger was great as expected.

You cannot go wrong with a crumb fried chicken burger with tomatoes,lettuce,onions for filling and accompanying french fries. For the Thai curries,we got the prawns red curry and veg green curry. While both curries were tasty, our pick was the more balanced and subtly spiced red curry over the spicier green curry. With the never ending cocktails and drinks, we weren’t too keen on desserts. But glad we ended the meal with the smooth and delicious caramel custard.

Plus & Minus:

The vibe and the hip ambience is what attracts people to Eskobar. In fact,after my first visit,I have already been here twice. The space can transform itself from a restaurant to a happening pub in a jiffy. The food and drinks,particularly the cocktails are impressive. The staff was courteous and friendly. The service was prompt in the beginning. But as the evening progressed and the place got busier, the service faltered.