Over the past few years, Pune has seen a major surge in the number of restaurants opening up! They come up with new concepts, fancy interiors and cuisines that you haven’t tried before. And we all are aware of the success rate of these new restaurants. Among such scenarios, there’s a restaurant in Viman Nagar that has turned out to be consistently busy and successful over the last two years since it started! When we visited this restaurant i.e SOUL Neighbour Food Bar, we could easily see that they have gotten their basics right!
Well, we are not really making a business case study here. But what we saw was a super busy but organised kitchen, various groups sitting for their lunch and one restaurant which speaks of success! Soul has a chilled out ambience which is not over the top. Just the right amount of splash of colors and luxury to make you comfortable. The most important being the simple to understand and familiar menu.
One doesn’t have to think much while ordering. Almost on all tables we saw Butter Chicken, Chhole, Dal Makhani, etc. Every table also had one common dish, that was Chilli Garlic Cheese Naan. This is the most favorite staple across many restaurants. But this one is different. This Naan at Soul restaurant comes extra loaded with not just cheese but also an overload of garlic and chilli! It packs such a good punch and is equally comforting too. It’s a must try!
Comforting and soulful classic dishes like Butter Chicken, Dal Makhani, Lachha Paratha, Pindi style Chhole, etc are always a crowd favorite. When you have chefs from Northern India who specialize in these dishes, they are bound to make a restaurant like Soul a successful one. During our visit at this busiest restaurant of Viman Nagar, we tried all the above dishes. All of them are simply finger licking good. The Butter Chicken is typical Delhi style with no sugar added and having the right amount of tanginess of the tomato. The dairy items that go into this dish make it rich and a little sweet naturally.
The Dal Makhani here is purely a bliss. Eat it with Lachha Paratha or rice. You’re bound to fall in love with this creamy yet rustic recipe. The chhole at Soul restaurant are different because they don’t use the usual Kabuli Chana and instead use the Pindi ones which are small in size and high on flavours. Cooked overnight with minimal spices and chilli, these are not so heavy on your stomach. If you have not tried Pindi Chhole before, you must visit Soul restaurant in Viman Nagar.
The full but not so fancy bar at this neighbourhood restaurant also has got the basics right. There is no fancy cocktails menu, but just the usual suspects including beer taps, straight drinks and the classic cocktails. Their Chakna menu and the all day bar is just perfect for a post work drinks with friends and colleagues!
Soul Neighbour Food Bar is one successful restaurant in Viman Nagar and the busiest kitchen. Always bustling with group corporate diners, it assures you fresh soulful food whenever you visit.
Address: Soul Neighbour Food Bar, Solitaire Business Hub, C20, Viman Nagar, Pune.
Contact: 08421133390
