There's a new restaurant in Lonavala, and here's all you need to know about it

Mist rolling over the mountains the scent of rain in the air and the quiet beauty of the Sahyadris never lose their charm On this yearrsquos mandatory monsoon trip to Lonavala we found ourselves at Mirari a new culinary bungalow by the family behind Old Pune highwayrsquos Sunny Da Dhaba leafing through carefully preserved MidDay clippings from the early 2000sFor three decades Sunny Da Dhaba has been a Lonavala institution Bollywood regulars legendary butter chicken khatiya khatiya seating and unpretentious hospitality have kept diners returning Founder Sharad Wadhwanirsquos story began long before the dhabaldquoMy parents came from Sindh after Partition with almost nothing They had around Rs 300 and no property We first opened a small hotel in Khopoli then two truck dhabas before Sunny Da Dhaba in 1996rdquo he shares Now alongside his sons Ameet and Sumeet Wadhwani has opened Mirari on Lonavalarsquos main road It pairs nostalgia with modern dining and is designed as a place to lingerTruffle amp Herb Kothambari Wadi and Homemade Ginger AleThe space houses two distinct restaurants Leni named after the regionrsquos ancient Buddhist cave sanctuaries serves artisanal coffee comforting bakes and familiar classics in an unhurried setting We started with the Shrub of Pesto Rs 550 a herbforward pasta that was delicious The Baked Jackfruit and Aubergine Polpette Rs 625 with caramelised jackfruit and aubergine lsquomeatballsrsquo didnrsquot quite come together for usThe Mirarirsquos Hillside Bhutta Rs 375 channelled the nostalgia of monsoon evenings with its smoky buttery flavours The Nashville Fried Chicken Burger Rs 550 delivered on heat crunch and comfort while the Crispy Prawns and Mathucha Rs 650 paired succulent prawns with mathucha in an interesting combinationmidday articles featuring Sunny Dhaba in the 2000sHowever the flavours didnrsquot feel entirely cohesive We washed it all down with the Homemade Ginger Ale Rs 355 Spiced Kokum Rs 325 and a rich Hot Chocolate Rs 325 The standout however was the Skillet Chocolate Chip Brookie Rs 425 part brownie part cookie served warm with a molten centre Itrsquos reason enough to make the drive to LonavalaldquoLonavalarsquos cafeacute culture is still evolving and we felt there was room for something newrdquo says Sumeet With Mirari they wanted to create a bungalow that honours the legacy of Sunny Da Dhaba while offering a more contemporary dining experience So you will find Signature dishes like the Butter Chicken Paneer Noor Jani and Veg Noor Jani ldquoLike French cuisine has its mother sauces we have our own mother gravies Everything builds from thererdquo says AmeetDinner was at Avaali a contemporary Indian restaurant inspired by the hills and valleys surrounding Lonavala We began with the Truffle and Herb Kothambari Wadi Rs 425 which had all the comforting flavours of the Maharashtrian classic though the truffle was barely discernible Perhaps thatrsquos not a bad thing The Chefrsquos Special Chicken Rojali Tikka Rs 700 was the star of the meal succulent smoky and beautifully charredThe Kheema Pattice Rs 700 instantly transported us to the old clubs and bylanes of Chembur its crisp potato shell giving way to a richly spiced kheema filling The Prawn Tempura with Thai Nam Yam Rs 425 packed serious heat and isnrsquot for the fainthearted The 100Layer Sindhi Aloo Tuk Chaat Rs 425 was a clever take on the classic with impossibly crisp potatoes layered into an indulgent chaatOG Butter Chicken Kolhapuri Missal Bao and OG Veg NoorjaanAt the same time the Kolhapuri Misal Bao Rs 450 tucked the fiery Maharashtrian favourite into a pillowy bao You miss the traditional pav but this pairing works surprisingly well The Ghee Roast Nadru Seekh Kebab Rs 510 fragrant with ghee roast spices was another standout We rounded off the meal with the OG Veg Noorjaani Rs 690 and OG Butter Chicken Rs 790 mopped up with flaky Malabar Parathas Rs 180 and Lachcha Parathas Rs 180 flavours familiar enough to take us on a nostalgic trip to Sunnyrsquos DhabaThe decision to open Mirari he admits was far more complex than opening Sunny Da Dhaba three decades ago ldquoBack then there were only one or two dhabas on the old MumbaiPune highway The Expressway didnrsquot exist and competition was limited Today diners have changed Theyrsquore more healthconscious and looking for lighter more varied foodrdquoSpiced Kokum and Kheema PatticeMirari is the familyrsquos answer to that shift pairing the legacy of Sunny Da Dhaba with a contemporary dining experience That evolution is visible beyond the menu A grazing table laden with dips breads and small bites greets diners encouraging them to linger and share ldquoIrsquod seen the concept become popular in Mumbai and wanted to bring it hererdquo says Sumeet His hospitality education helps bring in practical decisions ldquoDuring our trial dinners my family kept asking lsquoWhat exactly are we eatingrsquo But they all agreed it tasted goodrdquo he laughsAnd keeping that simplicity of guests in mind the menus at Leni and Avaali have been designed to be familiar rather than intimidating ldquoWe wanted a little something for everyone so no one leaves feeling there wasnrsquot anything for themrdquo says Ameetrsquos wife Kiah who has been instrumental in building the menu ldquoThe flavours are familiar just reimagined At Avaali wersquove taken classics like Sindhi aloo tuk and turned it into a chaat We also serve Dal Pakwan Chaat and Sindhi Keema Indian restaurant menus are usually dominated by North Indian food We wanted to give Sindhi cuisine a place too which is rare on mainstream menusrdquoThe offering she says is still evolving ldquoThis is an evolving menu because we first wanted to understand the market Within the first couple of weeks we realised people wanted more vegetarian sandwiches so we added two Thatrsquos how menus grow You keep listening and refiningrdquo Outside an allday bakery and takeaway counter is operational with plans to eventually bring Lenirsquos full dessert menu there as wellThe patriarch Sharad feels the business is finally in safe hands in the next generation ldquoMy two sons are my right eye and my leftrdquo he smiles While theyrsquove embraced technology digital systems and social media he is proudest that theyrsquove remained grounded ldquoYou see families sitting together without speaking to one another My sons stand together Thatrsquos a blessingrdquo After four decades in hospitality he says hersquos ready to retire ldquoMy wife has sacrificed for forty years Itrsquos time I gave some of that time back to herrdquoOn your way back stop by Sunnyrsquos Dhaba for nostalgiarsquos sake even if itrsquos for a cup of dhabewalichai and head home through the old winding road through the Sahyadris watching monsoon waterfalls cascading over mountain cliffs Yoursquoll love itWhere Mirari Old Bombay Pune Highway Lonavala