The city is burning up. Temperatures are soaring and tempers running high. It's a bit uncharacteristic for Pune because it's always been known for its all year round cool weather.

One of the consequence of the sweltering climate has been to fill us with sloth and lethargy. It's been a chore just to imagine going out to scorch in the sun.

On a Saturday we decided it was enough lounging around the house. So we picked ourselves up and drove all the way to Phoenix mall. A mall because it's always centrally air-conditioned, has the choicest selection of eating joints and it doesn't hurt that it has stores to carter to your sartorial needs. We made sure we carried our cameras because you are all ways sure to meet new people, find new faces.

By the time we were hungry we already had our eatery selected.  We had heard and read quite a bit about the place and we were raring to have a go. The place is deceptively small but it has got an outer seating area too. The inside seating comprises of plush cushioned couches and tasteful white chairs with warm lighting and artful wall art.




We chose to sit by the glass facade which had a nice view of the outdoor seating area. The outdoor seating is nicely done up with lots of green shrubs, strategically placed fans and with the central fountains to be admired on one side. We would have liked seating outdoors only if it wasn't boiling over outside.



Apart from all the decor you can also choose to play boardgames with your friends while you wait for your order to arrive. You can choose between Jenga, monopoly, pictionary, Taboo or other games on offer. But we hardly got to play a few rounds of Taboo when we got our food brought. The service, needless to say is pretty quick,  very courteous and attentive.

The other good thing here is there's 50% off on alcohol post 4pm up till 8pm. So you have that going for you on a hot afternoon. We took advantage of the situation by indulging on tangy MIMOSAs.



For eats we ordered TENDERLOIN BURGER, MEDITERRANEAN BURGER and HOUSE STYLE CAESAR SALAD.  The portions sizes weren't that great especially for the salad but the taste just blew us away. The flavors were on point and had very authentic taste.

THE BURGERS came with a side of freshly fried fries (wow,  there's some alliteration for you) and fresh salad. The burger was decently sized and came stabbed with a steak knife (literally). The filling was scrumptious and had a good balance of patty and cheese and vegetables. The bread seemed fresh too. It might just have been one of the best burgers we have had in Pune.
The French fries too were really crispy and fresh.



The CAESAR Salad has always been a favorite and we've seen its the dressing that's seems to be the most crucial bit that makes or breaks the dish. The dressing here was punched with flavors. The salad and chicken was nicely coated with a good amount of dressing and with croutons on top. The greens were fresh and crunchy and the chicken was well done. The quantity was a bit of a bummer but the taste was impeccable.



Our experience in the 212 Cafe and Bar was certainly a great one and we are already planning our next visit here. There are some great stuff on offer and it's high time you pop in to sample some of their goodies.