Lallantop: The Dhaba Bar, Baner, Pune

Restaurant Name: Lallantop: The Dhaba Bar, Baner, Pune
Phone: +919175674501, +919175674502
Address: Shop 1 & 2, Survey 202/203, The Mint, Baner, Pune, Maharashtra 411045 India
Time: 12:00 Noon – 12:00 Midnight
Meals for two: Rs. 900
Cuisines: Bar, Mughlai, North Indian, Chinese, Fast Food, Beverages
Facilities: Home Delivery, Takeaway Available, Full Bar Available, Smoking Area, Free Parking, Indoor Seating, Table booking recommended, Live Entertainment, Outdoor Seating, Serves Cocktails, Family Friendly

Lallantop is a ‘dhaba’ inspired resto-bar that is located off Baner Road. The name Lallantop is a slang used in UP and Bihar for anything superb, great or topnotch.

Lallantop: The Dhaba Bar, Baner, Pune – Decor

Located on the ground floor of the Mint building off Baner Road, the indoor section has an adjoining outdoor area which has now been completely enclosed. The decor is hip and contemporary and little details like the ‘stop thinking, start drinking’ neon sign and tribal art and sculptures on the walls add that quirky touch. The space is colorful with multicolored sofas, chairs and cushions. The use of colored glass window panes adds more color to the space.

Lallantop: The Dhaba Bar, Baner, Pune – Food

At the helm is Chef Deepu Alamchandani who has put together a dhaba inspired North Indian menu. Keeping in mind the younger crowd, pastas and pizzas are included in the menu. The elaborate bar menu has a range of signature, classic and house cocktails. We started with the tangy and refreshing gin based cocktail named best of me which had cucumber, coriander, black salt and lime juice along with gin and the kafir lime and passion fruit martini with a twist of green chilies. As we had gone in the afternoon, we took advantage of their 2 on 1 offer and got the holy melon cocktail free with the other two. Among the mocktails we tried the orange mojito which was perfectly refreshing on a warm afternoon. The north Indian appetizers paired well with our drinks. The bhuni mirch ka malai tikka was and absolute cracker. While the malai marination was wild and flavorful, the chunks of roughly ground chillies provided the heat. While I am not a paneer fan, I gorged on this one. The raseela tandoori chicken and mutton bhukhani kebab followed. The tandoori chicken was marinated and grilled to perfection and served with a side of spicy onions. I don’t know the etymology of the mutton bhukhani kebab, but didn’t really care. These grilled mince mutton balls were very tasty. We went easy with the starters as I had earmarked a few mains when I first glanced the menu. We got the rare chicken changezi which was quite tasty. Next was the intense and flavorful nihari gosht. They got the spices and consistency right and the mutton was tender and cooked beautifully. The mutton in the laal maas was cooked well, but the gravy lacked the depth of flavour which comes with the extended frying and roasting of the masalas. I was glad to see the dal nazakat on the menu which is Chef Deepu’s signature dish that I had tasted and loved at a different restaurant previously. For me, any meal at a North Indian restaurant is not complete without their dal makhani. ft was the right blend of hearty, creamy and flavorsome. We paired the mains with portions of lacchha paratha. You can ask for an ajwain paratha which goes very well with the dal nazakat. They make their own kulfi and among the lot, the malai kulfi was the best It was creamy and mildly sweet.

Plus & Minus:

The beer, pitchers and drinks are value for money and they have daily and weekly offers to make it more pocket friendly. With the main focus on drinks and drinking offers, quite a few resto-bars fall short on the food front. But Lallantop gets both, the food and drinks, right. The food was well prepared and delicious. The staff was courteous and friendly and the service was prompt.