As one steps over the threshold of the little yellow door, it is an Alice in Wonderland experience. A flurry of colors and textures will suddenly calm your senses down… A live size Jenga, a hammock for your comfort and a foosball will greet you first. And as you get accustomed to the place you will experience the detailing that has gone into putting together is friendly neighborhood bar. Welcome to “The Little Next Door”. Completely a my kind of place where one can just relax, have a drink and have endless conversations along with good food. Read on to check out my experience at The Little Next Door Pune.
The menu features Mediterranean fare from an amazing variety of starters, pizzas, sloppy burgers and of course alcohol infused mains & drunkdesserts influenced by France, Italy, Spain and Greece along with some indianised twists. Not to mention a great selection of beer, wine, cocktails, universal alcohol plus one can also purchase a quarter or even a whole bottle And if you cannot finish it, The little next door will store it for you and you can continue from it the next time you’re there. That’s a totally refreshing idea!!! But before we go the daru and khana chck out the ambiance first
COCKTAILS
Cosmo Bellini – I loved the “Cosmo Bellini” martini. It’s a peach cosmo with a sparkly kick. YUM! Priced at Rs. 435/- this had Citron Vodka, Cointreau, cranberry juice, and peach puree. Absolutely delicious
Frosted Oreo – made with Baileys, crushed cookies, cream and chocolate syrup was too sweet for me. But my other counter parts loved totally fell in love with it. It is priced at Rs.495/-
Mad Island ½ Litre Ice Tea – Ahhhhh… my favorite a big ½ litre glass of iced tea with a heady mix of vanilla vodka, spiced rum, contreau, tequila, sour mix and thums up #Highly Recommended This one is priced at Rs. 495/- #BellydrivenRecommends
Jager Caprioschka – A potent mix of Jagermeister, mint leaves, fresh lime, sugar, crushed ice. Totally refreshing and you will definitely end up ordering a second round. Priced at Rs.385/- this one is a winner
Rose Margarita – This one is like a shy dame looks harmless but is a blend of tequila, sweet & sour and slush and fresh rose petals. Picture perfect it is decorated with rose petals this costs Rs.385/- It tasted like RoohAfza or rose syrup with alcohol in it.
FROM THE SOIL
Coked Shrooms – Smoked mushrooms stuffed with a mixture of cheese, jalapenos and chilli and then rubbed with a olive tampenade. Loved the smokiness and the fact that the mushrooms were not overcooked. A good dish to start with
Baiganvillea – Crunchy phyllo cups of smoked pickled aubergine, crushed peanuts and crumbled feta and served with a beetroot dip. A dish will let you experience a lot of textures in one bite. The beetroot dip was a kick ass accompaniment.
Kidneys and Falafel- Mini pita pockets filled with a kidney bean patty , well plated with a side of pickled beetroot. The mini bites were nice but nothing earth shattering about them
FROM THE LAND
Pig in a Blanket – A sure shot must try dish. There came three little pigs on a plate stuffed with a masaledar corgi pork pandy. The pig shells were made of bacon and olive bread with cloves as the eyes. A brilliantly executed dish with magnificent flavors
Tequila Drunk Shrimp – Say tequila + prawns + grilled pineapples and it’s a magical combination. I have had my share of bad experiences with this dish in another restaurant but this one should definitely be awarded with a trophy for the the best tequila drunk shrimp in town
Chicken Souvlaki – Perfectly marinated chicken with olive oil and lime with greek herbs and flavored with turmeric & saffron with served with warm pita, red pepper hummus, fries and salad on the side. Good dish to have but was overshadowed by other dishes served that day.
Kefta Brochette – I was expecting a lot out of this dish but the meat was dry. Lamb meatballs were served with warm pita, toum, cucumber dill tzatziki and Moroccan pickle. The sides rocked but the main attraction which were the kebabs were disappointing.
Prawioli- This is exactly how I like my ravioli, nothing complicated. Clean fresh flavors that make you fall in love with the dish. This dish had prawn ravioli bathed in green chili garlic oil, flavored with sage and infused with champagne. Undoubtedly the best ravioli that I have had in Pune so far. #BellydrivenRecommends
Kheema Borek- Just like a keema roll instead of the maida roti this one had crisp phyllo rolls encasing the meat a decent fare
FOR THE FEAST
Chic Bastilla – A baked pie with chicken tikka; accompanied by masala gravy and arugula & fig salad. A brilliant twist to the run of the mill chicken pie beautifully presented with a great salad on the side. #MustHave #BellydrivenRecommends
Champagne Spaghetti – This one had spaghetti in a rick mushroom stock and parsley puree garnished with fresh chives and crispy kale. Flavors were bang on I just found the pasta a tad overcooked for my taste
Pizza made your way – Handmade pizza with mushrooms, bell peppers, grilled chicken, onions and broccoli as toppings. One cannot really go wrong here.
DRUNKESSERTS – Alcohol Infused Desserts
Rose Winesicles – This had a frozen fruit tea Popsicle in rose wine syrup. Well presented but I kindo of don’t like the rose flavor
Mini Donuts and Churros – Surprise Surprise.. it comes along a Jack Daniels Chocolate Fondue. All you have to do is PICK, DUNK & REPEAT
Apple Cinnamon Cigar Roll – It was basically a apple cinnamon pie rolled in a pastry and fried served alongside a burnt caramel bailey ice cream. The combination did not work for me
8 Textured Chocolate Cake – A dish with the performance, once you pur the old monk spiked hot chocolate that comes along with it the cake crumbles in. Well once again #BellydrivenRecommends
I loved the way all the dishes were presented here. Kudos to the team at The Little Next Door especially the food team for the fact that you have given equal attention to not only the primary dish but also the accompaniments those come with it. This shows a lot of character and your seriousness towards the food that you serve. Well done
