HOTEL SANDEEP — Restaurant in Pune

Recently, I visited Hotel Sandeep, a well-known restaurant that serves both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food, and I wanted to share mymy detailed experience. This visit was somewhat unplanned, but it turned out to be a pleasant dining experience overall, with a few areas that could use slight improvement.

Ambience & First Impressions

As I entered the restaurant, I immediately noticed the warm and inviting atmosphere. The interiors were neat, moderately lit, and had a comfortable family-friendly vibe. The seating arrangement was well-spaced, which gave a sense of privacy even though the place was quite busy during my visit. It seems to be a popular spot among locals, families, and groups of friends, especially on weekends.

Since it was a bit crowded that day, I had to wait around 10 minutes before getting a table. The waiting period was decent and acceptable, considering the restaurant’s popularity. The staff handled the waiting crowd efficiently — they maintained a polite tone and made sure customers were attended to in sequence, which I appreciated.

Ordering Experience

Once we were seated, the waiter handed us the menu, which offered a good variety of dishes in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian sections. The menu was extensive enough to please everyone, whether you prefer North Indian, Chinese, or tandoor-style food. The descriptions were clear, and it didn’t take long for us to decide.

I ordered Paneer Chilli, while my friends decided to go for Butter Chicken — one of the restaurant’s most-recommended non-veg dishes, according to the staff. After our main course, we thought of trying something sweet, so we ordered Gulab Jamun for dessert.

🍴 Food Quality & Taste

The food arrived within a reasonable time after ordering — roughly 15 to 20 minutes — which was perfectly fine.

Starting with the Paneer Chilli, it was delicious! The paneer pieces were soft and fresh, and the balance of spices and sauces was just right. It had the perfect mix of flavors — slightly spicy, tangy, and with a hint of sweetness from the sautéed onions and capsicum. The quantity was also satisfying, easily enough for one person or to share as a starter.

My friends really enjoyed their Butter Chicken as well. The gravy was rich, creamy, and flavorful, with a perfect blend of spices that gave it that authentic North Indian touch. The chicken pieces were tender and well-cooked, soaking up the thick buttery gravy beautifully. It paired wonderfully with butter naan and steamed rice. For dessert, we had Gulab Jamun, which was served warm and soft — just the way it should be. The sweetness level was balanced, not overly sugary, and it was a nice way to end the meal.

💸 Pricing & Value for Money

Coming to the pricing — our total bill came to around ₹1500, which felt a bit on the higher side for a small group (two to three people). While the food quality and portion size were good, the prices could be slightly more reasonable. However, considering the taste, service, and hygiene standards, I wouldn’t call it overpriced — just a bit expensive compared to nearby restaurants offering similar dishes.

If you’re visiting with family or friends and don’t mind spending a little extra for quality and comfort, the pricing seems fair enough. Service & Staff Behavior

The service at Hotel Sandeep was quite decent. The staff members were polite, attentive, and responsive to our requests. They checked on us once after serving the food to ensure everything was fine, which I appreciated. The waiter who served our table seemed well-trained and had good product knowledge — he helped us decide on the right dishes and even gave a few suggestions.

The food was served hot and neatly presented, and the table service was smooth without any unnecessary delays. Even though the place was busy, the team managed to handle orders efficiently and maintain a positive...

Hotel Sandip. Ghole Road. Pune. Heard about Sandip a lot. Probably native to Nagar and famous for their Kala Masala Mutton and Chicken. A decade or so back, I had visited a troublesome supplier at Aurangabad. Once the work was finished we returned to Pune. enroute home , my engineer and I, took a dinner break at a nondescript dhabha.

There we tried the Kala Masala Chicken for the first time. It was fiery curry . Chicken was typical rubbery , heavily fed on poultry feed and antibiotics. I took a bowl and felt it wasn't for me. Though I am not averse to spicey food the sting was unbearable. But it wasn't Sandip, for sure. Couple days ago, I had some work in Pune mid town. Once every engagement was over we were reminded by first minor then major grumble in our tummy. We looked for several eateries. At 03:30 pm, almost everyone was shut down except Sandip.

We entered and were immediately seated on the first floor. We just glanced the menu and after a quick discussion ordered Chicken Kala Masala Handi and Roti for me and Naan for my son. We avoided Bhakari simply because my better half makes better ones at home. The speed of service is not their forte, at all. Inspite of four or five waiters simply milling around , food arrived late. And the repeat order of Roti was terribly delayed.

First they served a shallow steel plate and normal plate . As soon as the Handi arrived we understood the purpose. It was good medium to large sized Handi , even though it was half, and copious amount of black curry.

Many people like to have it in a way, which an urban chap would wince. The Bhakari is broken into tiny pieces and soaked in the curry for a while, to eat at leisure. Many mutton curries are now a days served in same fashion. This is actually an awesome combination. Only you need to relish it. We neither had time not inclination, purely driven by hunger, took the chicken an curry in bowl and Roti .

I first tried the curry with the roti. Curry was delicious. Rarely you would love curry in the first bite. Kolhapuri White Curry, Goan Fish Curry and a Mutton curry I tried at one of the Malhar outlets had impressed me a lot , in the past. Sandip did the same. Nice flavours . Spicey but palatable. Not very stingy and didn't burn the taste buds.

My litmus taste to hot pungent curries is two fold. It must never burn your palate and food pipe and later cause acid reflux. Next but most importantly next day the exhaust system shouldn't be compromised to force us stay at home.

Then I took a bite of a chicken. Luckily a leg piece was served to me. As leg pieces go they are usually soft, juicy and less rubbery. This wasn't exception either. I had the chicken, curry and roti for the next few minutes without a word spoken. Suddenly we remembered spoon wasn't given. We demanded and they complied.

Now a harmony of sound bytes began with a clinking of spoon to scoop the curry, slurp it , then a good bit of a roti and relish the chicken. Good food is a pure bliss! Meditation has many forms. Fooditation has only one. Eat, lose the senses and quietly surrender to the flavours bursting in the mouth and aroma wafting around. If only the higher power understood this, many a men and women would have attained the Moksha on the dining table itself. But we are mere mortals. We achieve our own liberation with the food. By having it , sharing it and enjoying it.

My son told they make excellent Biryani too. But we were time pressed for the next engagement..

We left with beaming smile and a halo on our head of a completely satiated soul, who just experienced a heavenly food.

Food is excellent. Service needs a...

हॉटेल संदीप - दर्दी मटण प्रेमींसाठी नाम ही काफी हैं!

डाय हार्ड मटण फॅन असूनही संदीप चं मटण अगदी अलीकडे 2 वर्षांपूर्वी खाल्लं आणि पहिल्या घासातच फॅन झालो! जेवढे केवढे मटण वाले अड्डे ट्राय केलेत (and I have tried a lot!), त्यातली सगळ्यात बेस्ट चव इथेच मिळाली!

संदीपची खासियत म्हणजे काळा रस्सा! बाकी पदार्थ चांगलेच आहेत पण काळा मासाल्यातला रस्सा एकदम जबरदस्त!

Test: 4.5/5 Ambiance: 3/5 Services: 3.5/5 Value for money: 4/5

We tried

Let me share my thoughts on the various dishes I tried.

Chicken Roast (4/5) : Despite the name suggesting a roasted preparation, it was more like deep-fried chicken. However, that didn't take away from the fact that it was delicious. The chicken was tender and had a flavorful marinade. The crispy layer on the outside was thin but added a delightful texture to each bite.

Mutton Soup (4/5), which had a typical Alni flavor. The chef had used ample mutton stock, giving it a rich taste. What I liked the most was the subtle flavor that allowed me to savor the mildness of the stock.

Mutton Handi in Kala masala (5/5): Now, let's talk about the star of the show—the Mutton Handi Kala Rassa. This dish was an absolute delight and unquestionably the best preparation I had at Hotel Sandeep. The Kala masala, a Maharashtrian specialty made by dry roasting several ingredients, added a subtle smoky flavor to the mutton. The blend of garam masala, spices, and the flavor of the mutton was simply perfect. I can confidently give this dish a rating of 5 out of 5.

Veg Handi in Kala masala (4.5/5) : It consists of a medley of vegetables, paneer, and cashews. What caught my attention was the generous use of roasted onions, which added a delightful depth of flavor. I thoroughly enjoyed this dish and appreciated the way the flavors came together.

Based on my experience, I highly recommend exploring the 'Sandeep Special' menu at Hotel Sandeep. While they offer other cuisines as well, I believe this menu truly shines with its outstanding preparations.

Now, it's worth noting that Hotel Sandeep may be a bit heavy on the pocket compared to similar establishments. However, I firmly believe that the quality of the food justifies the price. The flavors, the attention to detail, and the overall dining experience make it worth every penny.

One thing to keep in mind is that the wait times at Hotel Sandeep can range from 15 to 20 minutes on average. It's especially important to note that the waiting time tends to be longer on weekends. So, plan accordingly and be prepared to exercise some patience for a truly rewarding culinary experience.

In conclusion, my visit to Hotel Sandeep left me thoroughly impressed. I would recommend it to all food enthusiasts looking for a memorable dining experience.

#food #foodie #foodblog #foodlover #peo #punefoodie #punefood #mutton #muttoncurry...