ITP Indian Travel Places: Food, Travel, Tourism Business Events and Trade Shows
Phone: 020 29805111, 020 29805112
Address: Unit 101, 1st Floor & Mezzanine Floor, Cello Platina, C.T.S. 1183, F.C. Road, Shivaji Nagar, Pune, Maharashtra, India
Time: 9 AM to 1 AM
Meals for two: Rs. 1,500
Cuisines: Continental, American, Asian, North Indian, South Indian, European, Chinese, Fast Food
Facilities: Home Delivery, Full Bar Available, Nightlife, Indoor Seating
The sprawling FC Road Social, which is spread over the whole first and mezzanine floor of the the building on FC Road, is the second largest Social in the country.
FC Road Social, Shivaji Nagar, Pune: Decor
You are welcomed by a large neon sign in Marathi which reads ‘Kay Mhantos’ set up amidst a vertical garden. The most striking feature of the indoor section is the gabion stone walls (sort of a cage, filled with rocks or concrete blocks) beautifully interspersed with creepers and planters throughout. The seating is an eclectic mix of comfortable sofas, chairs and high-chairs. The garden theme continues with the outdoor section where grass turf flooring folds into benches surrounded with tree trunk lights. The sprawling terrace is dedicated to Social Chhatt, where Indian fare is served and which is decorated using nostalgic elements like rope swings,cane chairs and even khaats. The terrace is the perfect place to spend hours chilling with friends, almost like at a house terrace party.
FC Road Social, Shivaji Nagar, Pune: Food
The bar menu at FC Road Social is unparalleled. We couldn’t get enough of the longest long island iced tea aptly named as ‘Lamba Khamba’ as it is served in a tall, larger beaker with multiple straws. On the recommendation of our server, we also got a crate of 6 loaded goti sodas which are flavored goti sodas spiked with rum, tequila or vodka. The one drink we absolutely loved was the Banarsi patiala which is a combination of freshly squeezed sugarcane juice mixed with 90 ml of alcohol of your choice. With a limit set by the restaurant of maximum 2 glasses per person, this potent and delicious drink was the highlight of the evening.
Like the bar menu, there are separate menus for Social and Chhatt. We tried only a few dishes which were recommended and looked very interesting. We started with the smooth and melt-in-your-mouth smoked mushroom galouti kebabs. Generally galouti kebabs are made with mince lamb, but we absolutely didn’t mind this mushroom variant. The purani Dilli chaat walk is a platter with an assortment of chaats like pani puri, dahi bhalla and sev puri. Everything on the platter was delicious. The thecha chicken tikka was marinated with the heady mixture of green chillies and garlic, grilled to perfection and thoughtfully served on a mini sigree to keep it piping hot. The spice level was just right and it was a perfect accompaniment to our drinks. One dish which did not impress was the classic tandoori chicken which though cooked well, lacked flavor. For mains, we selected a menu which is a signature at Social as well as Chhatt and couldn’t go wrong – toofani paneer, dal makhani and Black Label butter chicken. Served with Naan and roti, all three dishes were perfect and definitely among the best on the menu.
Make sure to keep an appetite for dessert as there are a lot of options to choose from. We shared the chocolate blood bath. It is a decadent mix of all things chocolate – cake, brownies, truffle, fudge, mousse and ice-cream. An absolute winner, particularly if you love chocolate. The Lucky’s caramel custard topped with a candy floss nest was silky and perfectly bitter. Paan after the meal is too mainstream, so we ended our meal with Paan Pasand shots!
FC Road Social, Shivaji Nagar, Pune: Plus & Minus
With the sprawling large space, quirky ambience, excellent service, unparalleled food and bar menus and a strategic location, FC Road Social is sure to emerge as one of the best places to hang-out with friends or even go out with your family. For the place to establish itself as a restaurant which serves great food, the key would be to maintain consistency in taste throughout all the dishes on the elaborate menu.
