In times where you are bombarded by non-vegetarian choices in every restaurant, poor vegetarians can’t help but feel out of sorts. They have to pick and dive between the limited vegetarian options menu and choose whatever seems best which is sometimes practically nothing. But for residents of Pune we have a good news there is one place which deals into all vegetarian options. ‘The Basil Deck’ at Koregaon Park, Pune is a fantastic restaurant which is blessedly, all vegetarian. Lavishly spaced with abundance of room to move about and seat the guests, the restaurant is nicely decked up. Keeping within the theme of ‘basil’ they have stuck with the olive coloured décor which balances quite nicely with pale walls. Fake bamboo screens are created on different areas to separate some tables which gives an effect of privacy. A charming spacious outdoor area greets the patrons and on pleasant days it is jam packed with happy punters.
The service is prompt and easy at The Basil Deck. Staff is cheerful and good at their job. Menu is a combination of Italian, Indian and continental dishes but Italian seems to rule the day. You would find Italian cuisine prepared beautifully by the chef with tons of creative flashes. For Italian lovers Basil Deck is their go to place for a heart-warming and satisfying plate of pasta. The restaurant is not very expensive too which is a huge plus, enabling the guests to visit more often with freer mind. You can begin exploring the menu with soups and salads out of which zucchini suppa, grilled vegetable salad e la grecque, supadi fizo soup, supadi subla and minestrone soup is the best. You can’t go wrong with charmoule tikka, Mediterranean cottage cheese, babycorn tempura, Arborio cheese ball, dizon mustard cottage cheese, wild mushroom crostini and basil deck bruschetta.
The mains are just as attractive and equally delicious. Dig into their pasta creole, the four cheese risotto, spaghetti con broccoli siciliani, baked eggplant parmesan, cottage cheese steak sizzler, crack pepper cheesy fondue, penne primavera, vegetable patties fenugreek, pasta margarita basil, multi mushroom risotto, sangrilla sizzler and four cheese penne. The perfect way to end The Basil Deck experience is with a chocolate/Nutella fondue, mango cheese cake, honey fried noodles with ice cream, chocolate fantasy and sizzling brownie. The Basil Deck is ideal for families and friends and even for fellow foodies.
- The staff is courteous and the service prompt
- They have a well-stocked bar – a rare feature for a vegetarian restaurant, but we learnt sangria goes really well with a four-cheese risotto!
- An ode to the establishment’s name, the paneer da basil (recommended by the chef) is a clever combination of the softness of cottage cheese with the peppery essence of basil