Why Pune’s current coffee shops are built to slow down

Juxtaposition plays out in Pune’s legendary Deccan district, an old quarter dotted with colleges, trees and boulevards that seem plucked from the past.

Down the frenetic Fergusson College Road, you slide into the Ketan Hotel, where Café Sora sits next door, but clearly owns the outdoor address. The space looks, feels and breathes like a culinary sanctuary – Sora means heaven in Japanese. Chef Ambar Rode conceived Sora (which opened in late 2025) as an album of his travels around India and beyond, through Japan, Vietnam and Central Europe.

Black and white photographs line the terracotta walls, while lush greenery and origami lamps invite you to sit with a coffee. “I wanted to create a space where food, conversation and coffee could exist at their own pace, without hype,” says Ambar. The compact menu moves through sandwiches, Mediterranean bowls, pastas and Southeast Asian curries, headlined by the excellent chicken katsu sando.

What’s happening at Sora reflects the Pune coffee shop moment. Young restaurateurs, inspired by their travels and the need for a city break, build spaces where the atmosphere is bohemian, the pace is leisurely and the food is informed by different cultures.

Sora Cafe | Photo credit: Special arrangement

“The cafe culture in Pune has exploded,” says Minoti Makim, head of Pune-based PR firm Carpe Diem. “Some cafes offer quiet, nature-led spaces, others experiment with formats like the Japanese kissaten. Many are simply beautiful, boho-style spaces made for lunch.”

In Kalyani Nagar, Handmade Café relies on this sensibility. The cafe consists of a leafy outdoor garden that transitions into a well-lit interior leading to a mezzanine that houses its sister clothing brand, Chidiya. The menu includes thoughtfully crafted dishes: nostalgic PB&J on sourdough, labneh-rich Turkish eggs, and coconut cardamom lattes. The female-led space feels like a warm embrace in the hustle and bustle of the city.

House | Photo credit: La Casetta/Instagram

Writer, editor and brand consultant Tracy Chen says that “specialty coffee and independent coffee shops have had a big breakthrough recently. This new culture is mostly driven by experience and aesthetics.” He adds that “people also seek out these spaces for quiet ‘me time.’

Cafes across the city are taking on distinct personalities. At Baner, Flipside moves from a quiet, conversation-driven cafe by day to a bar with deep house music and martinis by night. The Bookbar Café pairs books with a menu of sandwiches, pastas and pastries, along with a strong coffee program – its Iced Midnight Valencia, a riff on the espresso martini, is a draw. La Casetta transforms a Prabhat Road bungalow into a soft pink Italian cafe, perfect for writing or catching up. By the river, Commune balances an ashram-like tranquility with a menu that includes sourdough pizza with buffalo mozzarella and spicy piccolo.

Breakfast nook at Commune Cafe | Photo credit: The Commune Cafe/Instagram

Talking about Pune’s cafe feel, hospitality specialist Aman S says, “Cafes have definitely evolved into hybrid hangouts. A strong community layer is emerging, running clubs, workshops and coffee raves are becoming quite common. Cafes are no longer just about coffee, they are becoming a lifestyle anchor.” Aman checks 7 to 9 grams for “doing really interesting things with coffee and creating a more compelling, artisanal experience.”

At the third location in Koregaon Park, this immersive mood takes center stage. Light streams in through large windows, illuminating well-equipped reading nooks and communal tables full of conversation. Shelves lined with art objects anchor the space, while a workshop unfolds in one corner. The menu keeps pace: bitter Belgian chocolate ganache, Neapolitan roasted chicken panuozzo with olive tapenade and an earthy roasted root vegetable salad. It’s a cafe experience that distinctly feels like Pune, in the present.

Cafe Bookbar | Photo credit: Book Bar/Instagram

Vishal Pipraiya, owner of Pune’s long-standing independent booksellers cafe Pagdandi, adds more insights to the conversation between cafe, coffee and community. “Community activities sometimes affect the immediate business,” he says. “But the same community becomes part of and patronizes the store.

Vishal, a seasoned barista who has created coffee programs for his and other cafes, says of the drink: “Coffee is definitely moving from a commodity to a craft. You’ll see specific estate names like Kerehaklu (in Karnataka) and processing methods like carbonic maceration on the board,” Coffee is no longer just a medium, but offers a caffeine experience.

Book Bar in Pune also has a cozy vinyl listening corner | Photo credit: Book Bar/Instagram

And yet, even as these newer, design-forward cafes reshape the urban landscape with their bohemian leanings, there is a beautiful symmetry among Pune’s cafe-goers who often return to the original mecca of slow life – the Irani cafe. Here, time, pace and price have hardly changed, whether it’s a chicken mayo sandwich at Marz-o-Rin or Iranian chai at Café Yezdan, both in the Camp district. All of this served with a generous helping of nostalgia, of course.

Published – 9 July 2026 10:35 AM IST