Theobroma, Kothrud, Pune Bakery Restaurant

Restaurant Name: Theobroma, Kothrud, Pune
Phone: +919819002413, +919819002416
Address: Shop 16, Fountain Head Apartment, Karishma Society, Kothrud, Pune, Maharashtra 411006 India
Time: 08:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Meals for two: Rs. 150
Cuisines: Bakery, Desserts, Fast Food, Beverages
Facilities: Breakfast, Home Delivery, Sugar Free Options, Desserts and Bakes

Theobroma started as a small store at Colaba causeway in Mumbai back in 2004. Since then, it has emerged as a fast growing brand in the country. Theobroma in Greek means ‘Food of the Gods‘ and interestingly, it is also the botanical name of the cocoa plant. In Pune, they have 9 outlets that serve excellent quality baked goods, desserts and snacks.This week I decided to order from their Kothrud outlet, and try their signature desserts, sandwiches, brownies and the new mango menu.

Theobroma, Kothrud, Pune Bakery: Decor

I ordered via Swiggy and the food was delivered promptly. The desserts and bakes were packed in their pastel colored paper boxes. The six brownies which I had ordered, were perfectly packed in their cardboard box which depicts the iconic Cusrow Baug colony streetscape where the first outlet was opened. This box of brownies makes for a perfect gift for any occasion.

Theobroma, Kothrud, Pune Bakery: Food

Over the years, Theobroma has become synonymous with brownies. Having tried all of their brownie varieties, I have my top picks. The Millionaire Brownie takes inspiration from the Millionaire’s shortbread, a classic English sweet. A soft, buttery caramel layer is sandwiched between the chocolate brownie and a dark chocolate truffle layer. This is definitely a personal favorite for its sheer decadence. At any given time, there are around 10 brownie varieties available. So I ordered my other faves too – overload, chocolate chip and Nutella brownies. From their viennoiseries, I tried the butter croissant and the pain au chocolat. Both croissants were flaky, buttery and perfectly layered. Among the plethora of patisserie, bakery and dessert options, their savories are often ignored. As we ordered around dinner time, I ordered a variety of sandwiches, rolls and pasties. Both, the mutton kheema roll and paneer junglee roll were packed with the filling and the bread was fresh and pillowy soft. The kheema filling was cooked with the classic spices and was rightly spicy. The paneer junglee was cheesy and packed with flavour. The filling in the spinach, corn and cheese sandwich was excellent, but the bread was dry. The chicken and cheese pasty was delightfully flaky and filled with chicken in white sauce. I could have done with a few more of these. Another go-to dish at Theobroma is the banoffee high tart. A shortbread crust filled with fresh bananas, toffee sauce, cream and banana cake croutons. Needless to say, it was as great as ever. They have launched a summer special mango menu. From this, I ordered the mango tart which was constructed beautifully with mango slices to form a rose and the fresh cream mango pastry. Both the pastry and tart were delicious and hero the mango flavour, but they were absolutely tiny, almost bite-sized.

Plus & Minus:

From that one quaint store in Colaba to a multi-outlet QSR brand, Theobroma has come a long way. Chef and owner Kainaz Messman has meticulously curated the menu which includes a wide variety of bakes, desserts and savories. It has become synonymous with brownies and Theobroma almost never disappoints. With a central kitchen, the freshness of the products falters, sometimes.