Irani Cafe, Erandwane, Pune Fast Food Restaurant

Restaurant Name: Irani Cafe, Erandwane, Pune
Phone: +917420016286
Address: CTS 33/28, Plot 32/28, Ground Floor, Scheme 1, Prabhat Road, Erandwane, Pune, Maharashtra 411004 India
Time: 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Meals for two: Rs. 300
Cuisines: Fast Food
Facilities: Breakfast, Home Delivery, Takeaway Available, Outdoor Seating, Indoor Seating

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, a few familyrun Parsi and Irani cafes and restaurants opened in the cantonment area of Pune, and the Irani cafe culture was established. However, things started changing in the past 10-15 years, and the charm of these Irani cafes started fading with some closing the cafes due to low demand and patrons preferring to dine elsewhere. To help get the Irani cafe culture back, cousins, Reza and Kasem conceptualized the idea of The Irani Cafe and in 2016 launched their first cafe in Vimannagar. Today they have a total of 7 outlets across the city. With a few friends in tow, I visited the Prabhat Road outlet which is always bustling with activity.

Irani Cafe, Erandwane, Pune: Decor

The two-storeyed outlet is unmissable with its exposed brick arches, stained glass windows, and numerous plants at the entrance. The decor is an ode to the typical Irani cafe elements like redcheckered tablecloths held down by glass, bentwood chairs, stained glass windows and wall panels, checkered floors, wall hangings, and rules and instruction boards to patrons. The ground floor is airy and overlooks the main road through brick arches. The second floor is where all the activity happens. This is the part that makes The Irani Cafe outlets resemble old Irani cafes. The constant bustle, the chit-chat of people over tea, coffee, and their favorite egg preparations.

Irani Cafe, Erandwane, Pune: Food

The menu is fairly straightforward with a variety of egg dishes typical of Irani cafes. Then there are the kheema dishes, buns, broons and breads, savory snacks, and of course desserts. In addition to these, they have recently added a lunch and dinner menu with Irani and Parsi staples. Their breakfast section is available throughout the day and we started with the obvious choice, kheema par eedu which translates to egg on kheema. The mutton kheema was spicy and well-cooked. The runny yolk from the half-fried egg with the kheema along with a soft bun to sop everything up was the perfect start to our meal. We followed this with a masala cheese omelet and bun maska. This classic combination is a match made in heaven. We tried this separately, but you can simply get the bun masala cheese omelette which is equally delicious. We tried the vegetable, chicken, and mutton patties. Both, the chicken and mutton patties were crispy on the outside and the mince was delicious. The vegetable patties were excessively oily and disappointing. There only a few places in the city where you get broon, a crusty bread specially introduced by Irani and Parsi bakers. We tried the broon maska with jam, something you should not miss. We also tried the chicken berry pulao which was fragrant and really tasty. While the chicken was added generously, the main feature, the berries were few and far between. Like us, make sure you try the different flavors of Ardeshir’s cold drinks, which is an old Parsi-run business established in 1884. My personal favorite is the raspberry soda. We ended the meal with their soft and delicious coconut cake which is a childhood favorite. I personally packed a range of baked goodies including the lamingtons, cream rolls, and mawa cake, which I will be enjoying over the next few days.

Plus & Minus:

The food and decor pay homage to the many Parsi and Irani cafes in Pune. With more outlets planned the key will be maintaining the consistency in taste, the freshness of products, and quality of service. As for safety measures, the restaurant is operating at 50 per cent capacity. Our hands were sanitized upon arrival. The staff members wore masks throughout service. The complete staff has been vaccinated.