India GOStreet food in Pune
Pune's street food is mostly vegetarian and Maharashtrian: vada pav with dry garlic chutney, misal pav, sabudana vada, bhel, and mastani for dessert. The four stalls listed above are in the JM Road, Balgandharva and Law College Road area. For misal and mastani, head to the old-city Peths; for bun maska and Irani chai, to Camp.
What to order
The Pune street repertoire, and where to find each dish.
Vada pav
A spiced potato fritter in a soft bun with dry garlic chutney, eaten with the fried green chilli that comes with it. Garden Vada Pav near JM Road sells roughly two thousand a day, so each one is fried to order; Joshi Wadewale tucks red-garlic (lasun) chutney inside the pav and has indoor seating at its branches.
Misal pav
A sprouted-bean curry topped with farsan (crunchy fried snack mix) and onion, under a red spiced oil called tarri, with pav on the side. Bedekar Misal in Narayan Peth is the classic; Katakirr in Karve Nagar is widely called the spiciest; Shree Upahar Gruha in Sadashiv Peth is the mildest and refills the gravy. The tarri is added to taste.
Sabudana vada and khichdi
Tapioca pearls with peanut and potato, fried into crisp patties or tossed as khichdi; a classic fasting food, especially during Navratri. Hindavi Swarajya on JM Road fries its vadas in ghee and serves them with curd and spicy thecha (green-chilli chutney). Shree Upahar Gruha does a good khichdi.
Bhel and SPDP
Kalyan Bhel at the mouth of Law College Road is a standing counter known for fresh ingredients; order the wet (oli) or dry (suki) bhel. On FC Road, the pavement SPDP (sev-potato-dahi-puri) counter outside Vaishali is a ritual of its own.
Mastani
A Pune invention: a milkshake so thick it comes with a spoon, topped with ice cream and nuts. Gujar Cold Drink House near Mandai (since 1923) is credited with introducing it; Sujata Mastani in Sadashiv Peth perfected its recipe in the 1960s and makes it eggless, in more than 30 flavours, with mango the bestseller and sitaphal (custard apple) the connoisseur's pick.
Bakarwadi to take home
A tight fried spiral of spiced gram-flour dough filled with coconut, poppy seeds and sesame. Chitale Bandhu, founded in 1950 with its first shop on Bajirao Road, is the name for it; buy it vacuum-sealed to carry home.
Where to go, and when
JM Road, FC Road and Shivajinagar. The four stalls in the list above are here: Garden Vada Pav and Hindavi Swarajya on JM Road, Joshi Wadewale at Balgandharva, Kalyan Bhel at Law College Road, which locals treat as an evening stop. FC Road adds Vaishali (since 1951) and Roopali for dosa and filter coffee, and Wadeshwar for a misal in an air-conditioned room. Cafe Goodluck, an Irani cafe on FC Road since 1935, serves bun maska with Irani chai.
Old city Peths (mornings). Misal is breakfast here. Bedekar Misal in Narayan Peth is cramped and busy, so go by mid-morning; Shree Upahar Gruha near the Shanipar temple is best early. Sujata Mastani is in Sadashiv Peth, Gujar Cold Drink House in a lane near Mandai, Chitale Bandhu on Bajirao Road, and Kaka Halwai, a sweet-and-farsan house dating to 1890, next to the Dagdusheth Ganpati temple. These sit close to Shaniwar Wada and the Mandai market.
Camp (mornings). Cafe Yezdan (since 1964) and Vohuman Cafe (since 1978, five minutes from the railway station) are Irani cafes for bun maska and chai; Kayani Bakery's Shrewsbury biscuits often sell out by afternoon, so come in the morning.
For dishes beyond the street, see what to eat in Pune, sweets and the Maharashtrian thali.
How to pick a stall
High turnover and food cooked in front of you are the simplest signals.
- Busy and fried to order — At Garden Vada Pav the volume is so high that everything is fried to order and eaten within minutes. Prefer that to trays that have been sitting.
- An easier first try — Joshi Wadewale has clean indoor seating, Vaishali and Wadeshwar are sit-down and pure vegetarian, and Kalyan Bhel is known for cleanliness.
- Manage the heat — Katakirr's misal is fiery: ask for less spice and order taak (buttermilk). Shree Upahar Gruha's misal is the gentle one, and piyush (a thick saffron-shrikhand drink) or kokum sharbat at Bedekar cools things down.
- Mornings for the old city — Misal, bun maska and Kayani's biscuits are morning food; queues build later and popular items sell out.
FAQ
What is the famous street food in Pune?
Vada pav, misal pav, sabudana vada, bhel and mastani. Bakarwadi from Chitale Bandhu is the snack visitors take home.
Which street in Pune is famous for food?
JM Road and FC Road in Shivajinagar: Garden Vada Pav and Hindavi Swarajya are on JM Road, Vaishali, Roopali and Cafe Goodluck on FC Road, and Kalyan Bhel at Law College Road nearby.
Where can I get the best misal pav in Pune?
Bedekar Misal in Narayan Peth is the classic, Katakirr in Karve Nagar the spiciest, and Shree Upahar Gruha in Sadashiv Peth the mildest. All three are best in the morning.
Is Pune street food vegetarian?
All the street stalls listed here are vegetarian. For eggs and meat, try the Irani cafes: Cafe Goodluck on FC Road (bun omelette, kheema pav) or Vohuman Cafe in Camp (cheese omelette).
Where should I try mastani in Pune?
Sujata Mastani in Sadashiv Peth (mango or sitaphal) and Gujar Cold Drink House near Mandai, which is credited with introducing the drink.
What are some famous foods in Pune beyond the street?
The unlimited Maharashtrian thali, puran poli, thalipeeth and shrikhand. More in what to eat in Pune.
Sources (6)
Facts checked: 15 October 2026. Prices and hours are approximate; check locally.
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