Earlier this year, Pune’s dining scene took several hits. Following the Porsche crash incident in May, authorities tightened rules around nightlife, leading to cancelled gigs, earlier closing times, and up to 50 per cent drop in weekend footfall. The city’s extreme summer heat further kept diners indoors, affecting open-air cafés and lunch service. Adding to the strain, hygiene lapses — like the FDA’s suspension of Café Goodluck’s licence — triggered stricter inspections across eateries. Meanwhile, rising excise duties and licence fees prompted nearly 4,000 bars and permit rooms to protest with a one-day shutdown. Together, these factors had left Pune’s once-buzzing food and nightlife industry grappling with falling revenues and a cautious, watchful mood.

But the scene is beginning to shift again — not with loud re-openings, but with a quieter confidence, as chefs, brewers, and restaurateurs focus on quality, sustainability, and creating experiences that feel more mindful and rooted in place. Here are a few new openings we tried and loved.