level 5 bistro and bar

so to start with....
ambiance here is nice...went here on a sunday night...it had young crowd but also lot of families(not a bad thing)..
seating is comfy...staff is friendly,respectful and polite...
moving on to food..
food here is mouth watering,delicious,amazing and all the good words that describe awesomeness.
we ordered...
pulledporkbaguette
ham and cheese crossiant
crab cake benedict
trust me when i say this...all these dishes are a must try specially crab cake benedict...
its yummy and very very delifico...a must try...
i give this place a 4/5 as i am yet to try many more dishes....

a superior level of food comes to kothrud
a modern bistro serves just perfect gourmet food from across global cuisine. located conveniently at erandwane, a plush tall building branded by the takshshila group of hotels. you will find level 5 just above - new kalinga veg.
a very cozy woody ambiance is very reminiscent of old english era. the place is spacious and is perfect for big groups and families. the dim lighting and soft music makes it a hot spot for couples as well.i personally liked the combination of brown and white tones around, very rustic yet classy. posters of different destinations of the world such as rome, paris etc can be seen on the walls adding to the artistic feature. glass windows with wooden frames and natural green view from it makes the atmosphere quite refreshing and comfortable. the walls are done aesthetically with brick lamination and lamps hung from the ceiling are quite picturesque.the dessert counter at the entrance is very smartly placed. a live bar counter at situated in a corner suits the entire ambiance.

the most special quality about this place is its food. precision and presentation at its best.almost everything i had was flawless but let me begin with the special mentions. something you must not miss by any chance

#special_mentions.

1) passion fruit cocktail - very thoughtful of trying this. its a thick yet smooth blend of vodka that's infused passion fruit. crushed green chillies add to the extra zing. the result is an incredible blend! loved the mixology of sweet fruit and spicy chillies. totally my kind of drink.

2) the seafood chowder - a soulful soup that will transit you to the divine. i totally loved every sip of it.the moment this was placed in front of me, i knew it was gonna be amazing as it filled the place with its soothing aromas. a creamy super-soft soup comes in a bun bread bowl. yes the most attractive thing about this is the presentation. served in freshly homemade bun garnished with a shrimp.dip the bread in the soup and finish the soup with the bread. this soup is a treasure mix of squids, prawns, baby octopus and fish. potatoes and sweet corn contribute starch and sweetness to the soup. a hot herby soup that is a satisfying and hearty meal. #avery_strong_recommendation

3)porkribs( 4 hourporkribs) - for me this is the ''superstar dish at level 5'' #fantabulously_mesmerising_pork. rarely in pune will you find such a gem that will satisfy your craving of a perfectly cooked pork. gorge this with your eyes and wait till it melts in your mouth. a burst of spicy caramelized flavors will leave you hankering for more.the bone falling off the meat is a significance of perfection that has been aced by the chef. along with this your plate comes with a dash of green sauce thats perfect to go with theporkand caramelized onions wit cinnamon and star anise that compliments the balance completely. have this and thank me later. #mustmusthave

4) signature pizza - creamy spinach, caramelized onion and feta - 12 inch thin crust pizza that is crispy and wowoliciously delicious.i'am not a pizza person and even then if this is on my list of special mentions then it must be really worth a try. its not like your normal heavy dose pizza, its light and crunchy and the the minimalist toppings make it a perfect appetizer to go with drinks. #dotryit

5) level 5 gourmet ice-cream - if you have had the best of natural ice-creams and yet feel something missing go have this.their ice-creams are simple yet the best one ive this season. they serve handmade liquor ice-creams that are swanking in fantastic flavors. the one i tasted was the rum and raisins ice-cream - loaded with the goodness of rum thats outstanding. a very strong flavor that will keep lingering in your mouth for long. #musthave

apart from the above we also enjoyed some great food that was coming quickly one after the other.

fried calamari - a simple dish with a great taste. crumb fried calamari served with a mayo dip. crunch crunch all the way. its an unstoppable snack, good to go with your drinks. the quantity you see in the pic below is actually half of the actual one.

kerala style chicken -( chef spl menu) - a typical southern style dish with a lot of omph. big red chillies, lots of roasted coconut and curry leaves leave an unending impression. lipsmackingly good sukka chicken cooked to perfection again. one look at it and you will start to feel hungry again. #dontmissit

chicken steak burger (rs 350) - huge and grumpy- fully loaded burger with- no - not a patty- its real chicken steak inside juicy and succulent. crispy lettuce in layers with chicken and gooey yellow cheddar cheese add to the glory of this burger. the entire dish with two side salads , and french fries is a complete brunch for a single person.a complete guilty pleasure.
p.s - the smoked tomato sauce is a golden hat to this dish #maddening

chocolate bomb- a dark chocolate sphere topped with goodness of berry compote. polished this off with chilled vanilla icecream and whipped cream. #fantasticdessert

while we were enjoying the food i noticed the swelling crowd on a weekday. the service was commendable not only at our table but also the other tables, the food looked beautiful and people were having a merry time. the owner herself looks into customer service and delight. i found her to be very compassionate towards the restaurant and the food which is under her scrutiny. i had a great time and will be back to try more stuff from the menu. i so wanna try the octopus.

p.s - must check the fully automated parking space. the technology is definitely worth a watch. applauds to the master mind behind this. it accommodates more than 80 cars. customers can visit this place without any fear of parking issues.

on a dull working day, there's no greater joy than finding a legit food tasting invite to free yourself from the bonds of workplace confines, and meet your sparkly bestie for lunch!!

1 pm and we showed up at level 5 bistro and bar. the place has a pretty welcoming vibe, and the european feel of the decor, music from world-over only adds character to the bistro. the very affable and chirpy amrita shetty (who owns the place) joined us for a well-guided culinary experience.

oh, and the food menu has been curated by the celebrity chef amit puri and the concoction menu by the renowned mixology queen shatbhi basu. we started off with some signature cocktails and rippini salad, followed by seafood chowder (that was replete with chunks of prawns and octopus) served in an edible bread bowl, aglio olio (sphagetti in olive oil, sundried tomatoes, and herbs), jacket potatoes stuffed with pulled chicken served in potato skin,porkbelly (pork cooked to perfection) and galouti kebabs (100 percent melt-in-the-mouth). any meal sans desserts is just a meeting. so we had to have the perfect finishing notes with the decadent chocolate bomb, and pannacotta.

the man behind the show is abhishek shetty, director, takshashila hotels pvt. ltd. a third-generation restaurateur, abhishek is a thorough foodie and an avid traveller. with more than 20 years of experience in the f&b industry, his passion and expertise at gastronomy comes to him from his father ganesh shetty, who helms the well-known kalinga.

all in all, level 5 was a stellar experience, and amrita's chatty spirit made it all the more enjoyable!

very disappointed. quality has gone down. prices have gone up. fat to meat ratio inporkribs was 3:1. typical story of a place that starts of as good but ends up more after profit.

level 5 bistro and bar
erandwane
opp mehendale garage

this place was on my mind on a very very long time but for some reason or the other i just wasn't able to go there

so last week when i was in the area for a client meet i made sure i had go here for lunch

so two of us landed here on a tuesday in the early evening ordered a belgian wit pitcher and the following food

mezze platter
mutton kerela pepper fry
cream cheese potatoes
buddha bowl prawn thai curry rice

i must say all the dishes were superb ... infact they were excellent

we were so impressed with the food that we landed there again the next day as their whole menu looked so impressing and i had an eye for their pulledporkbaguette

so the next day on my way back from hinjewadi after a site visit i landed here again for late lunch

ordered the following
pulledporkbaguette
banjara kebab
pepper fry veggies
buddha bowl with noodles and chilli bean sauce

again the food was super awesome... i was in good coma eating the pulledpork

the service was super courteous and quick

the portions are super huge so pls order accordingly ..nahi toh hum logo ke jaise over eating karna padega

the pricing is super vfm comparing the portion size ans quality of food

we were surprised to see a 30% discount offered to us on both our visits

i'll be back again here for theporkribs and theporkbelly 😋

after a long wait after the lockdown l5 finally has opened. we were waiting for the creamy spinach caramelized onion and feta pizza and dayum it was tasty.

the strawberry and coconut lemonade is heavenly.

we also ordered 2 burgers (level 5 club and veggie pesto) tough the portion size was great
the veggie burger lacked the punch and l5 was a dissappointment.

howeverporkribs here is a class apart.
we were surprised by the bill as we got 30% discount. later we realized what it was.

walk in on a monday-thursday 11am-6pm to avail 30% off on craft beer and food!

food 5/5
ambience 4.5/5
service 4/5
portions 4.5/5

total 4.5/5

level 5 bistro and bar
this is another place to hang out with your friends over amazing cocktails and scrumptious food. the ambiance is very nice and pleasing. you also have good music in the background.
coming to the food, they have a pretty wide spread of drinks and food.
drinks: -
dates and tamarind old fashioned: - old fashioned being a classic cocktail has the most amount of lovers. well this drink will just add in some sweetness and tanginess in the classic cocktail with a moderate amount of tamarind and dates.
kokum and kaffir lime mojito: - this drink kind of has a maharashtrian touch to it with a twist of the northeast. kaffir lime is said to have an amazing flavor and aroma. this is a really good start to your meal at level 5 bistro & bar.
spicy peru margarita: - a drink that will be loved by people who like spicy stuff. this is something i would love to have every time i visit the place.
pina-strawberry colada: - a pina colada with a twist of strawberry. a bliss for all the berry lovers.
chocolate caramel popcorn shake: - this is a heavy drink as it contains milk and chocolate. the drink has a very nice buttery taste and just perfect for a kind of dessert drink.
starters: -
although i’m not a seafood person, the fried calamari is something that i liked in the starters. we also had the broccoli and almond quiche which was mind-blowing the creamy texture made me want moreo of it.
creamy spinach pizza: - this is a tool for the mummies to make their little ones have spinach. yes it is because the pizza is so delicious that you will just hog on it just by getting the aroma.
also had the kerala pepper fry with malabari parotta which made me so happy because i did not get such an amazing dish in a long time. this is a must try dish at the place because it has the authentic flavor from gods own country.
for the main course we had the paneer tikka masala buddha bowl which is also another must try at the bistro. their dal makkhani is to die for. also they have amazingporkdishes out of which we tried theporkchops and trust me it was scrumptious. this will become your favorite dish from level 5 bistro.
finally coming to the desserts we had the nutella bombaloni which is a nutella filled doughnut, tiramisu, which is the best dessert of all time (according to me) and their strawberry basil icecream which is their in house icecream. all three desserts were delicious.
overall this place is a lovely place to go to when you are in the mood of having good food with amazing cocktails and have a good time with your friends.

// level 5 //

another outstanding bistro by kalinga is now one of the best place in kothrud to hangout with friends or for date. level 5 is very spacious and lit place with the very unique ambience made of bulbs which give you comfort and that positive vibes all over.
i must say people from and around kothrud has got some real worthy.
broccoli and almonds quiche:
muffin cup shaped dough which is crisp and stuffed with smashed broccoli and almonds. one of the tastiest and healthiest option i must say. like it's a combination of fats and fiber.

fried calamari:
okay so basically i completely avoid prawns or calamari or crabs due to the smell or taste.
but but lemme clear here the fried calamari is something very fresh. you wont even notice you having calamari cause you wont even get that smell.
it was too crisp marinated in in-house spice mix served with zesty mayo which adds up more taste.
and i did finish of this al alone

spicy chicken pizza:
nowdays thin crust pizza is everyone's preference.
spicy pizza here is bomb cheesy loaded full of spicy chicken chunks and chopped olives it's just so fulfilling. this pizza serves 2 of them.

creamy spinach pizza:
you won't get pizza like this anywhere mark my words. even if you find this somewhere the taste and texture level 5 carries no one can. the creaminess is just just next level. the edges are fine crisp. the mozrella cheese adds up more to the taste. the taste of spinach is not so overpowering its balanced.

kerala pepper fry:
ahh the actual desi kerala fry with malabar parotha is the best combination one can have. here you get the authentic kerala fry sith the touch of curry leaves and grated coconut and also south indian spices.
this is not all spicy nut full of flavours.

pork ribs:
this dish here is the show stealer. if you're a great fan ofporkribs orporkbelly do visit level 5 without any hesitation. ribs here are slow cooked untill fall-apart-tender in aromatic broth with green onions,star anise and cinnamon. a bit caramelized on the barbeque which is spicy.

paneer tikka masala buddha bowl:
a unique way of serving mains. paneer tikka masla buddha bowl consists of paneer tikka which is medium spicy, long grain saffron rice, dal makhani which is thick and creamy. accompanied by laccha onion and papad.

nutella bombaloni:
a kind of italian style donut fill up all with nutella.
these are little pockets of heaven. full filled warm and fluffy donuts.

tiramisu:
ahh this is real worthy. this dessert is layered with marcapone cheese, rum and coffee soaked sponge.
the taste of rum and marcapone cheese is totally on point. presentation here is on point simple yet classy. and totally value for money.

tried here mocktails and cocktails which are absolutely outstanding.
my favorites are strawberry pina colada, spicy peru margarita.

overall had an amazing time with the best staff they have with super fast service

good food, especially the kerala mutton fry andporkribs. galouti kababs were good too. beers were ok. the lager was surprisingly good. avoid the belgian wit. comfortable seating. gets crowded real fast. better to book a table in advance. oh and btw, they don't accept american express credit cards.

have you ever been to a place and as you taste the food, you are just blown by how gorgeous the food is! you cannot believe how can each dish be so flawless as their mastery over the food is so great that it is just too hard to believe! this is what i felt when i visited level 5! global cuisine at level 5 is depicted through their vast and well-designed menu which offers translations of worldwide cuisines in the marathi language which makes the locals comfortable enough to order it with confidence!
the ambiance is laid back and simple with wall paintings from around the world hung up and light skimming through the windows and reaching your table! the music is soothing and more than everything your food reaches to you promptly! spacious seating and simple aesthetics are what makes this place so comfortable by giving you homely vibes!
level 5 has a stunning bar and an ever-busy pizza counter which are the elements which make this place more lively and truly fascinating! the servers have a thorough knowledge of the food here and their suggestions and something you can believe blindly! we have listed below some signature drinks, food, and desserts which will be a great guide to hog on the food when you visit level 5.
drinks :
blueberry slush:
perfect for a summer afternoon, blueberry slush has the most refreshing flavor of blueberry with crushed ice and topped with mint! the rim is dipped with salt and the tangy blueberry flavor with the salt in every sip is a very thoughtful combination! this drink is great for teetotalers and the freshness you get in each sip is just great!
strawberry star
a beautiful wine-based cocktail which has balanced flavors of strawberry and finished with a hint of star anise! the depth of red wine mixed with strawberry and to top it all the rich flavor of star anise makes it a masterpiece! sipping this drink along with food is a real treat and the bartender behind the bar has the talent to be appreciated!
wild mushroom soup
wild mushroom soup served with toast topped with mushroom, olives, and cheese! the soup has cream designed over it and once you take a spoonful of soup, the taste is just magic! subtle tones of mushroom along with the slightly crunchy toast id what makes it so desirable and comforting! the best thing about this soup is how the balanced the flavors are and the consistency of the soup are aptly done!

starters
prawn toast:
we never imagined that a dish as simple as this could make us rate it among the best ones we have ever tasted! the toast comprises of minced prawns loaded with sesame and a perfect crisp crunch which completes this dish! the spicy sauce served along with this gives a new dimension of flavor to this mild and subtle dish which furthermore enhances the rainbow of flavors this has!
shawarma chicken kebab
lebanese lovers you all are in for a treat if you order the shawarma chicken kebab! kebabs that are marinated to perfection and served in a heap of hummus with olive oil, freshest of pita bread and veggies which are soaked in vinegar! if you are someone who always has a calorie meter ticking in your head, this dish is definitely for you! loaded with nutrients and perfect in taste, this dish is the savior for the health freaks!
tempura corn
simple tempura corn with a twist of wasabi and mint mayo is something you cannot stop on binging! crisp texture of tempura corn along with ginger soaked in vinegar is a heavenly combination! the gorgeous taste of crisp corn with the tanginess of ginger along with the spicy wasabi mayo is something which will call you back for more! tempura corn of level 5 is unique because of the elements served along with it and one cannot simply miss this is you want to experience a variety of flavors in this one simple dish!

mains
4 hourporkribs
pork ribs cooked gently in an aromatic broth with green onion, star anise, and cinnamon and caramelized on the barbecue with a spice rub is a signature dish of level 5! the slow-cookedporkis something to look forward at this place as the spices are so well marinated into theporkand at the first bite you will deeply fall in love with this dish! rested on a bed of mint chutney and served with caramelized onions and roasted corn this heavenly combination is the most loved dish of level 5!
ham & cheese croissant
the most buttery in-house croissant with a yolky sunny side up, ham and melted cheese with elements like crisps, fries, and salads make this dish larger than life! each element defines perfection in its own way and the sinful croissant is something which keeps you licking your fingers! the subtle yet sinful combination of melted cheese and ham with freshly baked croissant is what makes it so heavy on the stomach and satisfies your heart along with your tummy!

desserts
rum and raisin gourmet ice cream
this dessert clearly signifies what getting high on a dessert truly means! insane percentage of rum and the natural sweetness of raisin make this in-house made ice-cream something to remember level 5 by! the freshness, consistency, and mixture with alcohol make it count among the best scoops of ice-creams we have ever tried! one scoop of this and you are high on the sweetness of raisins and infusion of rum which is the best ice cream to end your meal on!
strawberry & basil gourmet ice cream
this unique combination of strawberry & basil made us try this one! the leaves of basil were very evident along with the natural pulp of strawberry made this ice cream really different from the commercial, essence based ice-creams! real ingredients with real flavors are something that makes it so different and worth coming back for!

went to this place after hearing a lottt about it and must say wasn’t disappointed at all.
for starters we had ordered
mushroom soup
cheese dough balls
chicken kebab ( on asking they will only suggest you )

4 hourporkribs : the best ribs i have ever had , no doubt about it. you have to try this if you likeporkribs i can’t stress enough on it.

for mains we had taken
ham & cheese croissant
chicken steak burger
kung pao chicken buddha bowl ( consists of chicken gravy , noodles and kimchi , damn tasty)
chicken schnitzel ♥️


for desserts :
chocolate bomb : it is a must for dessert ppl especially chocolate lovers. perfect way to end the delicious experience.

level 5 has now become one of my favourites restaurants which serves good quality delicious food with great staff and service. the ambience is also damn nice. what else could you possibly ask for?

food :5/5
presentation: 5/5
value for money: 5/5
ambience:5/5

this has to be one of the best experiences i had till date! everything about the place had an unique charm and appeal, and it all was commendable. there are places which you really enjoy, but then there are places like this which makes you remember them when you are feeling a bit low or gloomy, the soothing interior with wooden brown stuff and the pretty lights accompanied by the calm music is what makes this place so comforting, along with that the live counters operating for pizza's and watching people from all age groups from working professionals to elders and kids enjoying their meal makes it more admirable.

i personally don't like mushrooms but the heavy rains and the comforting atmosphere made me try the wild mushroom soup. the soup did have a variety of mushrooms that gave it a thick creamy consistency. it was served along with a bruschetta topped with sauteed mushrooms. i was skeptical before tasting the soup, but the moment i had the first sip the distinct taste of the mushrooms made me enjoy the depth of flavours.

the starters indeed took me on a ride of flavours that i thoroughly enjoyed. i come across new dishes very often, but the prawn toast was something very new to me, the bread slice had prawns topped with sesame seeds, the prawns were nicely crushed and placed on the toast, which tasted really great! the next dish we had was the sesame fried paneer. the paneer often has the risk of loosing it's tenderness, but this dish had the paneer with crispy coating outside and tender paneer inside, with good taste.
the shawarma chicken kebab was a delightful treat that i really enjoyed, it had hummus, pita bread, salads, and toppings accompanied with the shawarma, the wholesome dish does makes you enjoy the variety of taste palette.
next, i had was the tempura corn, a better version of crispy corn with more depth in the simple yet addictive flavour of fresh corn.

now coming to the mains, the one consistent thing which i observed about this place is that they actually made me indulge into an experience of tasting which was soothing to the core!

firstly, i had ‘mushroom, artichoke, peppers, broccoli and baby corn’ pizza. it was not a regular pizza which you can find in the usual pizza outlets where it is all loaded with sauces and cheese, this was a thin crust pizza not over baked or undercooked, but baked till perfect golden crisp. i had heard before coming to the place about the pizza's served here at level 5, and it did stand true to the praises.

this probably would be the only place where i had the ultimate ham and cheese croissant. i was already full, after having all of these things, but when it came to the ham and cheese croissant i could not stop myself from devouring it with the maximum content and joy! the ham was on point, with the cheese and the caramelized onions with egg inside, again with the bang on presentation that kept me mesmerised and had me craving more dishes and this ultimate experience! this dish will always remain as one of my favourite dishes and memory.

i also hadporkribs, not being much of a fan of the dish, i was still convinced to taste it, where i got to have the meat was very tender and soft, whereas the fat sometimes makes it chewy and hard to eat, this dish delivered a perfect blend of flavour.

having a rainy weather outside and the gloomy weather, i had to treat myself with the filter coffee, ditching all the pretty cocktails and mocktails being served.

i had the gourmet ice-creams which were very unique to the normal taste buds, the rum and raisins had good blend of taste but strawberry and basil gourmet ice-cream won my heart!

visiting this place is not just an experience but a journey of flavours that takes you on a ride which stays in your memory making you eagerly wait for the next opportunity that will let you hop on this exquisite ride of perfect tastes and preparation.
i had the opportunity to meet the sweet and charming owner of the place amrita. i would completely love to go and sit there and watch her and these talented people create the magic and the things that go behind creating such amazing dishes and how particular she is about it, while trying out the new dishes and indulge into one of the best experience of my life.

this place even though being in busiest parts of city, has ample 6 storey parking which has been made keeping the customer's convenience in mind.

currently the place is having a discount of 30% on weekdays for the timings 11:00 am to 7:00 pm.

i had heard a lot about the place form friends and social media. especially theporkribs. my insta feed has at least one story of them ribs daily.

so guess what we ordered?porkribs :)

and let me tell you something. they are just perfection!

loved it. to go along with it we ordered corn tikki as starters and mocktails like strawberry with coconut (highly highly recommend) and green apple mocktail. both were great.

we ordered also tomato and cheese crossiant and finished with chocolate bomb for dessert (highly recommended)
crossiant was ok.

the ambience of the place is very welcoming. more like soothing.

try going on a non-rush day, to enjoy the place to the fullest.

staff is also courteous.

great place.

4.5/5 ambience
5/5 food
4.5/5 staff
4.5/5 service
4.5/5 value for money
4/5 portion size
____________
4.5/5 total

level 5

kothrud,above kalinga veg.opp mehandale garage.

pune city is changing and it is changing for good, level 5 is just another example of how passion for food and service can be seen in all aspects of this place.

ambience is cool and classy lot of pictures from europe can be seen which reflects the menu.

as this was a #foodtasting invite we got to taste lot of cocktails and food.

levels 5’s cocktail menu is designed by shabtbhi basu famous first women bartender of india and this is visible in the quality and variations.

we started with

long island ice tea-good potent ice tea is all you need to lit your day and this will lit your day!

date and tamarind old fashioned-thoda khatta thoda methha, unique way to add two different flavors and achieved balance.

chocolate, caramel and popcorn shake-fun drink to have popcorn on top makes it very enjoyable.

soup

caramelized onion soup-baked cheese on top of slow cooked onion vegetable broth is great option for this weather.

seafood chowder soup-a creamy soup which is made of mix of seafood serve in home baked bread ,this is a must have for all soup lovers.

food

veg pizza-one of the best pizzas in town a thin crust and right amount of cheese is what i loved, you can watch this amazing pizza rolled and baked in front of you.#musttry

marinated feta jar-one of the simplest dish but big impact, assorted fresh breads are brilliant to go with your drink. good feta cheese with olives and sun dried tomatoes are must have when you visit.

pulledporkbaguette-if you areporklover and not tried this then you are not aporklover. this is one of the best pulledporkyou will get in town. pulledporkin barbecue sauce served in baguette bread is treat to your taste buds.#musttry

pork belly-perfectly slow cookedporkbelly is what we got and trust me again it is one of the best in pune. one of the difficult dish to cook and thisporkbelly cuts trough and trough like butter, sweetness ofporkmeat and mashed potato is a perfect combination.

thai curry with herb rice-rich coconut milk induced green curry was very good, but i think smooth curry which will work wonders with plain rice. herb rice as an different dish is what i will love to have.

crab cake benedict-- crab cake topped with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce served with a watermelon salad sounds interesting but somehow this dish didn’t ring any bells for me.

desserts-

strawberry and basil ice-cream-what a source of freshness, one of the rare combination and it work beautifully.#musttry

tiramisu and chocolate bomb-both items equally good as any other hotel in town.

overall a great place to enjoy the blissful food.

thanks vmad and team level 5 for hosting us.

real talk : who doesn’t want to have a wonderful dinner in the central parts of pune without worrying about the quality of food, the sheer variety of it and not having to worry about parking your vehicle on those oh-so-busy roads of kothrud!?
well, this situation wasn’t quite possible until now when two immensely enthusiastic people started a european bistro – level 5. bear with me a little here as this review is going to be quite a long ride!

after the tremendous success of their initial project kalinga veg gourmet, this next project was in very safe hands. level 5 offers you an exquisite dining experience while providing you the comfort of a bistro with an uncanny resemblance to that of a european one. the lingering mellow music in the background when you take the first bite of the ham & cheese croissant here will definitely take you to a 5th level of your senses! the ambience is so well done with earthy tones and postcards from different parts of the world.

now, diverting you real-quick to the food section of this review. with great satisfaction, i’d like to describe the items i tried here and all of them are highly recommended!

first up, we ordered a few shakes and drinks from their detailed menu.

hot toddy – we initially ordered this drink as i was feeling a little sick and wasn’t up for a chilled cocktail. the hot toddy infused with indian spices like cloves and star anise was so well made that it ended up being one of the most liked beverages on the table.

although the best drink on the table easily was the date & tamarind old fashioned. just the perfect combination of dates and tamarind made the bourbon drink so extraordinary that the servings were easily multiplied! this one is definitely a must have for a whiskey lover.

later we started with the appetisers round by ordering sesame fried stuff. no, that’s not a generic name and i promise you there’s more to it. fried stuff is a starter keeping your taste buds’ choices in consideration with the ‘stuff’ variety ranging from paneer to chicken to prawns as well! the batter is crispy as hell with the sesame being the bang – on ingredient! the more interesting part about this dish was the dip that came with it. the owner informed that its an in-house recipe of power packed peanuts and chillies and they swear by it!

mahim keema cutlets is a dish that originated in the local food stalls of mahim, mumbai. the cutlets are very juicy and fried to perfection. this is one comforting local dish every non-vegetarian would devour!

ham & cheese croissants - moving over to the european side of the menu, ordering croissants was an essential choice here. you know your croissant is perfect when you tear it into two pieces and see the beautiful layering somehow in a pattern. this croissant came with an entire platter with coleslaw, lettuce and purple cabbage salad, fried onion crisps a side of fries and the croissant filled with bacon strips a sunny side up egg. the dish was so complete within itself that you could just have this breakfast and forget the entire meals for the day. this is definitely one of the best in-house croissant serving place you shouldn’t miss out in pune!

pepperoni, bacon, onion, jalapenos & cilantro pizza - i just loved how they refrained from naming the pizza with a complicated name and stuck with describing what it really had. the pizza was firstly, ginormous! they bake it in their in-house wood-fired pizza oven producing a real paper-thin crust pizza. the pizza again didn’t fail to impress the entire table!

finishing up the mains with the 4 hourporkribs - honestly,this was my first attempt at tryingporkribs and level 5 for sure gave me the best first impression. from the experts at the table, i heard that one sign determining a gooodporkrib is that the meat should slide smoothly from the bone. and it did just so! the spices the texture and the entire tale it told was amazing! i definitely recommend you to try it out.

a surprising dessert that was served to us was the rum & raisin ice-cream - a simple scoop of ice cream drenched in the flavours of the most loved indian rum i.e. old monk was oh-so-mesmerising! i swear i could eat this one through the carton if they were to sell it!

this place is a gem, really. the owners are really passionate about what they’re doing and it clearly reflects in their food! i would like to thank them and team vmad media for having me and would love to see this restaurant making huge progress!