North, South, East, West: Vegan Hotspots In Pune

Pune is one of India’s most vegan-friendly cities, with reason! There’s an abundance of fresh produce, dairy alternatives in several major grocery stores, as well as a growing number of vegan food businesses.  From cruelty-free salons to organic stores and vegan cafes, Pune has several green establishments – here’s our list!

The Real Green Café

Pune’s first vegan restaurant, this sunny space is the brainchild of Aishwarya Vishwanathan, an ex-KPMG consultant and passionate vegan. This is a pure vegan café situated in the leafy Koregaon Park neighbourhood. They serve healthy vegan wraps, sandwiches and whole wheat pizzas, along with frothy vegan coffees and shakes. They also have a range of healthy fresh juices. Be sure to end your meal with their rich walnut brownie – they make a good one!

The interiors of the Real Green Cafe

Tales Over Tails Café Bistro

Started by sister duo Madhuri and Vaishali, this café is located in Viman Nagar and served vegan versions of fast food favourites like burgers, pizzas, pasta and more. They have a lot of vegan substitutes on the menu, from mockmeat and tofu to house-made dairy-free ice cream. The must-try? Their Juicy Chycken pizza with marinated mockmeat.

The duo behind Tales Over Tails

Saima Bakery

Also located in Viman Nagar, this pure vegan bakery has a wonderful array of snacks, cakes and bakes, all of which are 100% vegan. The owner, Aniss Afshar, is trained in European-style bread and dessert making, so you will find interesting treats like Shubare (mini chocolate cakes) Chupavci (the Serbian version of Lamingtons) and Irani Mashgati, a sweet made from corn starch, saffron, pistachios and almonds. They also have filling savoury bakes like potato pies and pizza buns.

Saima's Chocolate Wafer Cake 

Back To The Basics

Launched by Anuradha Sawhney, the ex-chief functionary of PETA India, Back To The Basics offers a wide umbrella of vegan food. There are gluten-free bowls, smoothies, breads, cakes, dairy-free desserts and the house brand of vegan cheese, called The Bombay Cheese Company.

Granola bars by Back To The Basics

Hari Prasad Mithai Wale

This is a delivery-only mithaiwallah that makes vegan and cruelty-free desi sweets. They make their own vegan mawa and khoya and use raw sugar in all their sweets. They have a range of vegetable-based mithai, and not just gajar ka halwa – there’s zucchini pinni, lauki ke barfi, carrot besan barfi and more! A must-try during the festive season… or any time, really!

Hari Prasad Mithai Wale Zucchini Pinni

Dario’s

One of Pune’s favourite Italian joints, Dario’s has always been vegan-friendly, but recently took it a step further with an exclusive (and extensive!) vegan menu. There is an all-day breakfast section, replete with smoothies & smoothie bowls, whole wheat pancakes, avocado toast, gluten-free muffins and muesli. And this is just the breakfast section – there’s plenty more, including sandwiches, hearty plant-based mains, gnocchi, risottos and pastas with cashew cream.

Café One O Eight

This largely vegetarian café in Koregaon Park has a range of vegan dishes, and 3 different kinds of non-dairy milk to choose from. They have hearty salads and bowls, and even a few raw items on the menu, like the raw tacos with cashew sour cream. They also have quite a few vegan desserts, some of which are raw. Try their bliss balls, oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies and apple muffins.

The Interiors of One o Eight Lifestyle Cafe

Sante Spa Cuisine

Another vegetarian café in the Koregaon Park neighbourhood, Sante Spa cuisine has a range of vegan, Jain, gluten-free and refined sugar-free options. Dig into their nachni-base pizzas, smoothie bowls, sweet potato pancakes and Thai curries. They also serve a delicious Chilled Vegan Turmeric Coco Latte, made with coconut milk and infused with cardamom.

Sante Spa Cuisine

Geo Bistro

This cute little café in Viman Nagar has a separate vegan menu, and they even make their own dairy-free cheese sauces using almond milk & cashews. Try their vegan lasagne and vegan crab cakes made from chickpeas!

Geo Bistro

Grind Café

Situated on the fourth floor of Town Square Mall in Viman Nagar, this café has several vegan options on the menu and is willing to customize dishes on request. Attached to Sector 7 Workspaces (a coworking space for startups), members can even bring their own dairy-free milk and butters and have the team customize their food.

The Grind Cafe

Adrish Zerowaste Organic Store

This vegan-friendly store has everything you need – except disposables! They have a bring-your-own-bags-and-containers rule, making it India’s first zerowaste store. Stock up on grains, pulses and spices as well as home goods like crockery, candles, votives and other knick-knacks. It’s also a great place to go shopping with your kids – they’ll have fun dispensing things from the canisters, and you can get them a little something from the range of wooden toys!

Adrish

Orrganic Elemennt Salon

Beauty goes green at this 100% vegan and cruelty-free salon. They have two branches, one in Koregaon Park and one in Baner. The brainchild of ethical vegan Kavita Pol, this salon offers a range of services using organic, plant-based products that have not been tested on animals. Founder Pol is an animal lover and she wasn’t happy with products tested on animals, and, with few alternatives in the market, she set out to create a salon where every product is cruelty-free.“It doesn’t make sense that you are killing someone and using those products to make yourself look beautiful,” she says.

Bell Peppers Plant-Based Food

Bell Peppers is a 100% plant-based catering and tiffin service based in Baner, Pune. They have a wide range of hearty, healthy dishes, including tofu and mockmeat as well as vegan versions of your favourite desi comfort foods like curd rice and kadhi chawal. Order one or many dishes from them, or subscribe to their daily tiffin service.

Inscape

Inscape is a 100% vegan coworking space in Koregaon Park that also happens to have a wellness cafe on the premises - so if you're feeling peckish, you can order a juice or a smoothie! Situated in an airy bungalow, Inscape has a blue and white colour theme and indoor and outdoor seating. Ideal for freelancers, small companies and creative souls!

Urban Sage

An upcoming store in Mundhwa near the Koregaon Park neighbourhood, their tagline is "sage shopping for conscious consumers." They will be stocking a wide range of vegan and vegan-friendly products, including sweets from Hari Prasad Mithai Wale and baked goods from Back To The Basics. 

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