one8 Commune, Pune — Restaurant in Pune

With cafés and restaurants finally opening back up, many of us are making the most of returning to a semblance of normality. So, this winter, one of the most popular ways of catching up on lost time with friends has been through a good old eating out tradition that I have always followed. And what better venue than the recently launched plush and gorgeous restaurant One8 Commune by none other than Mr Virat Kohli.

After over a decade of his cricketing career, breaking several world records and being the only Indian athlete to be on the Forbes World's 100 Highest-Paid athletes list, Virat Kohli has added another feather to his cap. With his beloved brand One8 reaching new pinnacles ever since it’s inception in 2017, Cheeku and his baby brand have moved towards the hospitality industry with a casual dining bar One8 Commune. Pune city is now home to the 4th franchise of Virat Kohli’s One8 chain of restaurants.

Located at the buzzing new party address of Pune – The Mills! One of my favorite places to hangout (wink wink). This is truly a gorgeous looking property and I am sure it’s here to stay. The commune boasts of an equally gorgeous food & drinks menu. Taking cues from Kohli’s personal food experiences around the world, the menu has been perfectly curated & executed by world-renowned chefs.

Here’s my take on the food (and drinks) served to me on a rain-tery afternoon 😉

As a teetotaler I always settle with Redbull or a nice virgin mojito (with some extra ice cubes) at other restaurants and clubs but not when I am at a restaurant owned by Virat Kohli and definitely not when the drinks menu (non-alcoholic) of course, looked so bloody good, hence I called for a Watermelon and lemongrass cooler which unfortunately turned-out bleak and too damn sweet for my liking and then I asked the bartender to thrill me and he did just that with a refreshing concoction of jamun and some magical syrup, I just went bonkers over it. A great nonalcoholic drink indeed.

The Food – Started off with a classic which is subtle, delicious and has always been a favourite – Chickpea and avocado hummus served with coin pita and crispy marinara bread – aah, sheer love at first bite! The perfect hummus (exists).

Next on the table were some great looking butter garlic prawns, trust me, they just didn’t look great but tasted pretty amazing too. It was followed by a host of delicious sushis and I am about to burst the bubble here, the avocado and cream cheese sushi is way better than the salmon on fire at One8 Commune. My table mates will agree and you should, I reiterate, you should order the Avocado and cream cheese Sushi (veg) when you dine in at this contemporary restaurant. There, I said it. While I was quite intrigued by the Bandel Mochar Chop – Croquettes with bandel cheese, a lot of drama was unfolding in front of my eyes as it was time to witness the making of a signature dish – The Cheese Wheel Pasta. What a show the chef put on for us, too bad he forgot the seasoning, lol. Quite an experience though, I’ll definitely try more pastas here next time. I also tried Bamboo cashew nut chicken made with bell peppers, cherry tomatoes in schezwan sauce – Pretty decent dish. Also, the platter was pretty good with a lot of vegetarian appetizers on it. Ended the feast with the most insta-worthy dessert, the Chocolate Fondant which reminded me and a lot of my foodie friends of the choco lava cake that is nothing but melting chocolate lava, coffee dust and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Rates definitely are a little steep but hey, why not shell a little extra for the good things in life, eh?

This place, like I mentioned earlier is here to stay, not just for the food they serve but the ambience they put up, the vibes and the events and parties they have planned on. One of the go-to party destinations in future – One8 Commune by Virat...

Called to make a reservation and Siya asked me if I wanted to sit outside. Told her prefer the AC. Wonder how I would have been able to sit if I said outside as there were bamboos all around and I needed someone to take me to the restaurant. You could not see it with the scaffolding around !! Anyways that was a minor setback. The interior was very average as expected it to be in line with a Virat Kohli aura !! Guess he is a simple guy .. Table setting and chairs again utility wise ok ...but not towards VK name. Food we ordered was Peri Peri fries. Guess the chef or his assistant used red chilli 🌶 powder instead of the Peri Peri masala. So we had to wait for the same again ... Then we ordered Virats favorite dish Mushroom googly Dimsum. This was delicious and highly recommendable. We ordered Tandoori chicken tikka ...good marination and melting in the mouth. For the main course was confused as did not want Indian cuisine. So requested to speak to the chef and this was a bad mistake. I think chef was on leave and the chef who met me didn't understand/ fathom what I wanted. I spoke English and Hindi !!! Anyway to be on the safe side, ordered the ever reliable Homous with Pita bread with sauted vegetables on the side instead of the edame cheese and olives. Guess what, I got a plate of Homous with a centre of tomatoes And Soft Pita bread, instead of the roasted/grilled pita bread. And another plate of Thyme sauted Garden vegetables which were nearly raw !! Have you tried having beans raw and without the side threads taken out ?? Anyway could easily take the beans out, so no problem. Now coming to the Pita bread request. Told the steward that I had specifically asked for grilled or roasted pita bread. He got another one which was warm but soft. Then chef comes and says we don't have a grill. I said an oven or Tandoor can do that too. Finally got my pita bread to my liking. Bottom line for narrating the Pita bread saga is to point out the fact that this is not what you expect in a fine dine restaurant endorsed by VK. This was lunchtime and there were only 3 covers occupied, so definitely no rush. Also understand that lunch time rush is not there so chef can take the afternoon off. But when I spoke to Siya, told her that it was a birthday celebration and we wanted different cuisine besides Indian. She said that this was not a problem. It certainly was ...but as we were already on our drinks and whatever we asked from the menu was not available for lunch, we were upset. Guess that is what is bringing out the bitterness in my review. I will again visit the restaurant for dinner as honestly didn't expect such disappointment. And that is why we had French fries and chicken Tikka !!! SORRY VK, I enjoy your game and expected high standards. Very disappointed. In fact I sent a message to your what's app contact for booking and requested them to call me, for me to understand what went wrong. But no response for 3 days now. So have finally...

One8 Commune is one of the most beautiful and sorted restaurants I’ve known in Pune. This place gives a modern touch to all it’s various cuisines like Indian, Asian, Middle Eastern, Italian and much more. What you guys gotta try ;

Drinks -

Fairy Lady : Since Litchi is my favorite this drink has my heart with vodka and gin with just the right consistency. 🧚🏻‍♀️

Smoked Espresso : For all the coffee lovers, this is your drink with Kahlua and cream☕️

Purple Viking : This is a gin and egg white based lovely purple color drink with berries, grapefruit and elderflower. So refreshing. 🍸

Food -

Tofu Tacos : The healthiest and tastiest filling in a taco shell made with perfection. 🌮

Mushroom Googly Dimsums : Delicately cooked yummy mushrooms with cheese in a beautiful maroon dimsum wrapper. I loved the presentation as well. 🥟

Chickpea Hummus : Your classic hummus only better and with lots of accompaniments like pita bread, crispy bread, olives, etc.

Beetroot Hummus : This hummus was served with a twist as it was made with beetroot. I really liked this concept. 💯

Black Chicken : Extravagant and beautiful black colored chicken with a spiceful indian taste. What better kebab than this. 🤩

Bamboo Chicken : Chicken prepared Bamboo style with their own delectable marination was such a treat to my meal. 😍

Signature Chicken : Korean fried chicken topped with sesame seeds sunken in loads of cheddar cheese. This is so full of cheese that you can get a cheese pull out of it. 🧀

Garden Veg Pizza : Topped with a generous amount of various veggies, excessive cheese and it’s one of a kind thin crust base, this pizza has made it’s way to my heart. 😍🍕

One8 Mezze Platter : This is a huge mediterranean platter with assortments like falafel, pita bread, koftas, dips, hummus, spanakopita, etc. You must try this out. 🍱

Mumbai Dabba Gosht : Spiceful and perfectly soft cooked gosht in an amazing indian brown gravy paired well with naan or roti. This is one of the dishes that I would order again for my main course. 🥘

Baked Paneer Masala : The authentic and famous paneer masala but only baked to satisfy your soul. Heavenly good. ✨

Live Cheese Wheel Pasta : Pune’s first restaurant where the spaghetti is topped with veggies and the cheese is melted from the inside before it’s cooked inside the huge wheel of cheese. The taste is to die for. So cheesy and delicious. 😍🧀

Chocolate Fondant : Dive into this sensational and beautiful molten chocolate lava topped with the happiness of creamy vanilla ice-cream. Each bite you take creates a sensation of bliss for your tastebuds. This is something that you cannot miss having ever. 🤤❤️

Overall, this place has very good food with pleasant vibes and cooperative staff to cater to your food requirements. This is my one stop place for almost all types of cuisines. One8 Commune is totally worthy and highly recommended. Thank me...