ITP Indian Travel Places: Food, Travel, Tourism Business Events and Trade Shows
Phone: 080 46971752
Address: Lane 7, South Main Road, Koregaon Park, Pune, Maharashtra, India
Time: 12:00 Noon – 1:30 AM
Meals for two: Rs. 1,600
Cuisines: Bar Food, Asian, North Indian, Italian
Facilities: Home Delivery, Full Bar Available, Live Sports Screening, Indoor Seating, Table booking recommended, LGBTQIA Friendly, Private Dining Area Available, Free Parking, Nightlife, Outdoor Seating, Serves Cocktails, Restricted Entry, Resto Bar, Smoking Area
Publiq is located in Lane 7 of Koregaon Park and opened its doors in early 2018. With three outlets in the city at Hinjewadi, Creaticity and Koregaon Park, Publiq is one of the most popular bars in the city.
Publiq, Koregaon Park, Pune: Decor
Located in the prime area, Publiq is the perfect place to hang out with friends or colleagues over drinks and food. The sprawling alfresco area offers a variety of seating options ranging from comfortable wooden and accent chairs to lounging sofas. There are private cabanas for larger groups. The ambience is enhanced further with a lot of trees and plants through the space. The indoor space is elegantly decorated with a wooden theme and also houses a spacious dance floor and a bar.
Publiq, Koregaon Park, Pune: Food
The eatery is a homegrown brand and since its launch, it has emerged as one of the most popular bars in town. As expected, the bar menu is elaborate with a variety of spirits and great cocktail options. I was down with a cold on my visit to Publiq and manager Rohit quickly managed to get me a dark rum-based hot toddy.
The food menu features a mix of desi and global dishes with the main focus on bar bites, pizzas and small plates. We started with the hearty and flavorful edamame and ginger broth which was a great start to our meal on a cold winter evening. We were slightly disappointed with the chicken tikka sampler, which was a trio of tikkas served on a sizzler plate with onion slaw and mint chutney. The tikkas were cooked well and tasted good, but they didn’t wow us. We tried the Dakshini mushroom cones next. Mushrooms cooked with mustard, curry leaves and coconut were stuffed inside crunchy cones. The mushroom filling tasted great, but the cones were a tad too big. A smaller, crunchier cone would have been better. The meat lover in me was truly happy with the bacon wrapped prawns. Soft and tender tiger prawns were wrapped with smoked bacon and grilled to perfection.
For the mains we tried the Bengali dum aloo. Cooked in a spicy tomato masala, this different version of dum aloo was really good. The signature Bengali paanch phoran spice made this dish special. We were delighted to know that the fish used in the seared fish steak was bhetki or barramundi. The fish was flaky and cooked just right. The silky butter sauce infused with lemon and creamy garlic potato mash were the perfect accompaniments to the fish.
For desserts, we tried the newly launched Nutella crepes on our server’s recommendation. The crepe was loaded generously with nutella and pieces of kitkat and topped with chocolate sauce. What’s not to like?
Plus & Minus:
Publiq is a great place to hang out after work or on weekends over drinks. The contemporary decor, the sprawling alfresco setting and a spacious dance floor help create a young, hip vibe. With food, there were some hits and a few misses. The food presentation was quite run-off-the-mill and could do with some creativity, particularly at a time when every restaurant puts in some much effort, though and innovation in their presentation. Having said that, there is no denying that I will be going back to Publiq for the ambience and of course to try the other dishes on their extensive food menu.
