India GOCooking class and food walks in Pune
The cooking class for travellers in Pune is a private session in a family home in Aundh: an hour at the stove making two dishes from scratch, then a shared meal at the dining table. The host's own cuisine is Mangalorean, from coastal Karnataka, and she also cooks Maharashtrian dishes on request. It is booked online for two to four people. Guided food walks are rare, but Pune's classic food sits in two compact areas, FC Road and the old city peths, so below are two walks you can do on your own.
Cooking a Maharashtrian meal in a Pune kitchen
Grind the masala, temper the tadka and cook a full Maharashtrian or Mangalorean thali in a home kitchen in Aundh, then sit down and eat what you made.
from ₹2500 · by arrangement, most days; lunch or dinner
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The home cooking class
The class is listed on Traveling Spoon, a platform for meals and cooking sessions in private homes. The host, originally from coastal Karnataka, learned Mangalorean cooking from her mother-in-law and has lived in Pune for about thirty years. In the class you may cook green lentil ambat (sprouted green gram in coconut curry) and pattoli, rice dumplings stuffed with coconut and jaggery and steamed in a banana leaf. Maharashtrian, Konkani or Punjabi dishes can be requested when booking.
- Formats: a meal only, a one-hour cooking session with the meal, or a walk to a small street market nearby for ingredients, then cooking and the meal. Prices are per person and differ by format; a 4% processing fee is added at checkout, and children aged 5–11 pay half.
- Group size: two to four guests, as a private session; solo bookings are not offered.
- When: lunch or dinner; the cooking session with the meal runs 11:00–14:00 or 18:00–21:00. Your card is not charged until the host confirms, and cancelling at least 48 hours ahead gets a refund minus the 4% fee.
- Where: the host's home in Aundh, north-west Pune; transport can be added for a fee.
- Diet: vegetarian meals are offered, but the regular menu also includes prawn curry, so state your diet, including any Jain requirements, in the booking form.
- Language: English, Hindi and Konkani.
Walk 1: FC Road, JM Road and Deccan
The student quarter around Fergusson College has the densest run of classic places; the metro stop is Deccan Gymkhana. Go hungry and share plates.
- Bun maska at Cafe Goodluck
An Irani café on the corner of FC Road since 1935: soft bun with butter dunked in sweet Irani chai.
- Dosa at Vaishali or Roopali
The FC Road South Indian institutions: Vaishali since 1951, with its SPDP counter outside; Roopali for cold coffee and cutlets.
- Sabudana vada and vada pav on JM Road
Hindavi Swarajya fries sabudana vada in ghee; Garden Vada Pav is the vada pav most Punekars judge others by.
- Bhel at Kalyan Bhel
The original counter at the mouth of Law College Road, for wet (oli) or dry (suki) bhel.
- Or finish with a thali
Shabree on FC Road or Hotel Shreyas in Deccan Gymkhana for an unlimited Maharashtrian thali. See also thalis in Pune.
Walk 2: the old city in the morning
The peths around Shaniwar Wada and Dagdusheth Ganpati, best in the morning when the misal houses are busiest; the metro stops are Kasba Peth and Mahatma Phule Mandai.
- Misal at Bedekar or Shree Upahar Gruha
Bedekar in Narayan Peth is the benchmark, with piyush to cool the heat; Shree Upahar Gruha in Sadashiv Peth is the mild one.
- The market at Mandai
The Mahatma Phule Mandai market hall, the city's produce market.
- Mastani at Gujar Cold Drink House
In a by-lane near Mandai since 1923, credited with introducing Pune's mastani. Sujata Mastani in Sadashiv Peth is the other classic.
- Sweets to take home
Kaka Halwai, dating to 1890, has its flagship near Dagdusheth Ganpati; Chitale Bandhu on Bajirao Road sells vacuum-packed bakarwadi that travels well. See sweets in Pune.
If you want a guide
INTACH Pune, the local chapter of the national heritage trust, runs walks through Kasba Peth past Peshwa-era wadas, Tulshibaug and the Mandai market, and lists food trails through the old city and the Cantonment among its walks; they are arranged in advance by email, with monthly open walks. Ready-made partner tours with free cancellation are listed on this page. For other hands-on sessions, see workshops in Pune.
FAQ
Is there a cooking class in Pune for tourists?
Yes: a private class in a family home in Aundh, booked through Traveling Spoon for two to four people. You cook two dishes in about an hour, Mangalorean or Maharashtrian, then share the meal, at lunch or dinner.
How much does a cooking class in Pune cost?
The price is per person and depends on the format: meal only, cooking with the meal, or cooking with a market visit. The booking page shows it, and a 4% processing fee is added at checkout.
Can the cooking class be vegetarian or Jain?
Vegetarian meals are offered; state vegetarian or Jain requirements in the booking form, since the regular menu also has a prawn dish.
Is there a guided food tour in Pune?
INTACH Pune lists food trails through the old city and the Cantonment, arranged in advance by email. Otherwise, the two walks on this page cover FC Road and the old city on your own, and partner tours are listed on the page.
Facts checked: 15 October 2026. Prices and hours are approximate; check locally.
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