Café Bay leaf, Holiday Inn – at Hinjewadi, Pune

Hinjawadi , Pune
Located In: Holiday Inn Pune Hinjewadi
Phone: 66862200

Café Bay leaf is a twenty four hour coffee shop and the only dining room that is currently operational at the Holiday Inn, Hinjewadi. The Ala carte menu had an interesting variety of cuisines although the list of items wasn’t very long. I was unable to sample any items from the Ala carte menu since the restaurant had opened recently and the Ala carte menu wasn’t operational. The buffet was reasonably priced at Rs. 449 plus taxes as on 9^th July, 2011. The selection of items on the buffet menu included a variety of dessert however, the number of appetisers were limited.  

Ambience

The outlet is very spacious; it has not been over crowded with tables placed to close together. Even on a Saturday evening, although the restaurant was full, there was no chaos or hustle bustle that would hinder a private conversation.

Service

The service was good. The waiter was prompt, attentive, and polite. He did not seem to intrude us through the dinner yet kept an eye if we needed a thing or two.

Food

The food was average. There was no item on the buffet that was extraordinary or something that I would choose to come for. The items placed were included oriental, continental and Indian cuisine, they all tasted decent but there was no X factor in any of the dishes or cuisine.

The Non Vegetarian appetiser Murgh kali mirch was was succulent and delicious.

The salads and the middle eastern dips especially the hummus and the labneh were good.

In the main course, Gobhi adraki tasted special, unique and had a wonderful, well pronounced flavour. It was the only memorable item on the Vegetarian main course. The other dishes tasted average and regular.  

In the non vegetarian main course, the cumin crusted fish with spaghetti did not taste good. I only went for a small piece and I was curious because the description seemed new but I was disappointed because the flavour did not compliment each other, the spaghetti barely had any flavour and fish was too dry.

Chicken with sliced Bamboo shoots, the oriental main course was the best tasting dish in the slection although the chicken in this case was also too dry yet flavourful.

Chicken Hyderabadi tasted decent but the mutton rai tamatar was like homemade thin curry mutton lacking the full flavour of the tomatoes and the rai.

The dessert buffet looked very attractive. I must mention they had a long list of items on the dessert buffet. Many of these desserts were eggless, making it a delight for the vegetarians. The mixed fruit parfait, orange pastry and banana cake were good. The other desserts were average but the variety nonetheless, made them a delight.

This buffet at Café Bay leaf at Holiday Inn Hinjewadi in reasonably priced and offers a great variety of items for the price. The dessert buffet being the main attraction at a price like that. Although the food does not taste extraordinary, the money was well spent.

Café Basil = Good Ambience + Good Service + Average Food + Good Value for Money

Rating = 6.5 on 10