Maharashtra's love affair with pav has been going on for as long as we can remember, and it has resulted in some delectable delicacies. We've eaten some unforgettable combinations to thrill our palates, from scrumptious pav bhaji to crunchy vada pav. It's difficult to look past the modest misal pav when it comes to a pav-based cuisine that delivers massively in terms of flavour, enjoyment, and all-around adaptability. Misal pav is made of simple ingredients: a spicy yet flavorful lentil curry topped with farsan, sev, boiled potatoes, chopped onions, coriander, and green chillies, garnished with a dash of lemon for extra texture and flavour, and served with soft, pillowy pav.
However, to provide you with the best taste experience possible, we've compiled a list of eateries in Pune that serve the best misal pav. So, if you're craving a plate of food at any time of day, this is the place to go.
Bedekar Tea Stall
Instead of the usual pav, the Bedekar Tea Stall serves misal with a slice of bread. People come from all across the state to savour this delicacy at our booth. Poha, onion, tomatoes, sev, lemon, and coriander make up a classic misal. Every Sunday, people queue up for this fiery bowl of goodness at this modest stand in a narrow lane. With a hint of jaggery in the curry, Bedekar's speciality dish, the Misal Slice, is a little different than your normal misal, and has a unique taste.
Location: Narayan Peth
Price for two: 150 Rupees approx.
Malhar Misal House
The Misal served here is extraordinarily fresh and incredibly delicious, including vegetables such as onions, tomatoes, cucumber, and coriander. The misal is served with a large bowl of farsan and piping hot rassa. There's a small bowl of Dahi on the table to cool your inner fire after trying their rassa (gravy). If that doesn't work, try their wonderful Mango lassi to wash down the spiciness.
Location: Pimple Gurav
Price for two: 200 Rupees approx.
Shri Krishna Bhuvan
Do you have a craving for some delicious misal? Then you must visit Shri Krishna Bhuvan in Tulshibaug, one of Pune's oldest and most famous misal joints. Shri Krishna Bhuvan, founded in 1941 by the Joshi family, has been serving hot plates of tarri-filled misals to Pune residents for nearly 80 years. The misal is divided into three sections. You receive thin poha topped with sev farsan, potatoes, and raw onions, a tarri or sample that is not very spicy but spicy enough to keep you coming back for more, and white sliced bread rather than the laadi pav you'll find elsewhere.
The menu is very straightforward; you get your misal with a choice of additional samples, bread, sev, and taak or dahi to wash it all down if your mouth is on fire. They also serve other popular Maharashtrian foods, such as Kanda Poha, which are well worth trying. We recommend that you finish your meal with some Sheera. They do run out of misal during the day depending on demand, so we recommend ordering ahead.
Location: Budhwar Peth
Price for two: 200 Rupees approx.
Katakirr Misal
Katakirr serves one of Pune's most delicious misal pav meals. This restaurant is always busy, but they've implemented a pretty effective token system to keep things under control. Simply register your name and phone number at the token counter, and you'll be contacted when your order is ready. The staff is also very attentive and courteous. The misal, their hallmark dish, comes in three flavours: non-spicy, medium-spicy, and spicy. The misal is made up of mashed potatoes, mataki, a crunchy farsan, sev, crunch cornflakes, and onion, which is an excellent accompaniment to a pav.
Location: Erandwane, Pune
Price for two: 150 Rupees approx.
Hotel Ramnath
This is one of the few establishments in Pune that can claim to have the best misal pav. For those who can't tolerate spice, be aware that their famed misal is made spicy and hot.
Location: Sadashiv Peth
Price for two: 200 Rupees approx.
