Café Goodluck 2.0 in Pune

Small space, a smattering of a few tables, busy but smiling staff and a constant influx of loyal customers – these are four things that all the iconic culinary destinations in Pune have in common. Besides, of course, the fact that not one of them has a second branch – a policy they pride on, so much so, that they even smugly display it on a large signboard.

Then again, as Bob Dylan so eloquently put it, the times – they are a-changing. Even as the throngs waiting for a table outside Vaishali everyday continue to expand, and Marz-o-rin carries on with its relentless dishing out of chutney sandwiches and chocolate milkshakes in that jam-packed, century-old heritage building; Iranian Café Goodluck, standing tall in the heart of a bustling Deccan Gymkhana for 81 long years, has finally taken the plunge and opened its first ever ‘branch’ – in Aundh, inside a mall, no less! 

Christened ‘Chota Bite by Café Goodluck’, the new establishment, as the name suggests, is mostly focused on snacks and extracts the best from the old menu to make for a fresh, pithier version of the original. And of course, the location is a huge leap from the older, no-frills restaurant. So, you can now gorge on all your favourite dishes right from the soft and buttery bun maska, samosas, biryanis to the fiery tava kheema – all in the swanky, air-conditioned comfort of Westend Mall. 

The notable part is that they have dropped the pedantic idea of sticking to what has worked for them in the past and even introduced a few additions to the food selection – for instance, think their famous thick, luscious cheese omelette now laden with juicy mushrooms. Scrumptious!

So next time you are headed to Aundh (honestly, a Goodluck branch warrants a mandatory visit no matter which part of the city you live in), do not forget to drop by this spanking new adda and enjoy a cup of Irani chai as you contemplate the beginning of a new era.