Hit the road by driving down to Pune to indulge in these delicious mutton dishes

Pune takes its mutton seriously For decades Punekars have driven down highways to reach Hotel Jagdamba queued up at Surversquos and Chul Mutton or settled into classic booths at Blue Nile and George Restaurant That deeprooted love for rich spiced meat is practically a city tradition Now a delicious shift is underway Restaurants in Pune are taking familiar mutton classics and fusing them with global plates Here are four spots proving that it remains a topdrawer favourite meat1 Samosa partyHaleem amp Keema SamosaChef Abhishek Joshi recently added three new mutton dishes to the menu Why Pune loves mutton he loves to cook mutton and itrsquos the monsoon From them the Haleem amp Keema Samosas is a playful standout You never quite know what you will get when you pick a samosa off your plate A crispy bite might reveal a spicy robust keema or a milder creamier haleem Another hit is the Mutton Pepper Chops served charred and smoky with a coalcooked potato on the side as a nod to the chefrsquos childhoodAT We Idliwale Barroom Balewadi High Street BanerCOST Rs 530 for Samosas Rs 650 for chopsCALL 93075361652 Sando surprise from MaharashtraMutton Tambda Rassa BirriaCafe PNQ specialises in taking classic Indian regional recipes and turning them into robust sandwich fillings Their Mutton Tambda Rassa Birria turns a classic recipe into a mutton brioche sandwich served with Tambda rassa like a birriarsquos consomme You essentially get a bowl of hot rassa on the side for dipping alongside punchy bites of pickled paprika chilli and melted cheddar packed into the sandwichAT Cafe PNQ Swapnali Apartments Late GA Kulkarni Path KothrudCOST Rs 550CALL 96655269403 Twist to a tacoKala Mutton TacosIf you prefer an elegant night out that still gets a bit messy this spot delivers With their Kala Mutton Tacos they take slowcooked kala mutton a beloved Maharashtrian recipe in a rich and dark gravy and pack it into a soft taco shell that spends some time on the pan to earn a light crisp It comes served with fresh lime chillies and onion to cut through the heavy spiced richness of the meatAT Cobbler amp Crew Ground floor Barons Club North Avenue opposite Joggerrsquos Park Kalyani NagarCOST Rs 635CALL 93258756854 Japan callingMuttonKotsu RamenChef Brehadeesh Kumar the Japanese Cuisine Goodwill Ambassador recognised by Japanrsquos MAFF Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries of Japan brings authentic ramen to Kothrud But after the recent renovation hersquos serving a clever local twist The MuttonKotsu Ramen features a mutton bone broth simmered for eight to 10 hours layered with Kolhapuri Karamiso and paired with handmade alkaline noodles While currently off the menu for recipe standardisation it is expected to return in OctoberAT Ginkgo 12 Damodar Villa Apartment Rahul Nagar KothrudCOST Rs 800CALL 9359837216Donrsquot skip the legendsgtgt Surversquos Pure NonVeg Get its hearty Special Mutton Thali loaded with robust Mutton Rassa Mutton Sukka and Indrayani riceCALL 9823999960gtgt Maratha Samrat Order their legendary Kala Mutton Sukka paired with a Pandhara rassaCALL 9960179573gtgt Hotel Chul Mutton True to its name they cook over coals but their Mutton Alani draws crowds from across townCALL 7272815555gtgt George Restaurant A decadesold institution that still serves a great Mutton Biryani in a traditional handiCALL 66020121