The GUIDE finds that Pune is ripe for a Spanish bar and this one, we hope, has started the journey
The GUIDE finds that Pune is ripe for a Spanish bar and this one, we hope, has started the journey
We have grown to enjoy their breakfast offerings, their simple but delicious menu and the eclectic smattering of crowds that comes to enjoy the all-day options at Terttulia. So when they started a Tapas Bar, they obviously had us excited. 
The bar, located on the left of their indoor seating area, is startlingly different from the rest of Terttulia. It's an all-white space with warm lighting. The rough-wood rectangular tables are painted white, as are the high chairs that come with white cushions. The bar area has used liquor bottles as lampshades and the seating area has bird cages that hold twinkling lights, which is interestingly different. With merely four tables in the Tapas Bar section, Terttullia is obviously still toying with the Spanish concept.
And this reflected in their bar menu as well. The drinks section offered a few varieties of Sangrias (a Spanish summer specialty fruit punch cocktail) and a whole load of other regular cocktails. The tapas (which translates as finger food in Spanish) menu too listed under ten options. And if you are vegetarian, you have an amazing array of choices between grilled potatoes, tomatoes and a mini quiche.
We opted for a Sex On The Nude Beach (Rs 285). Our cocktail was bright pink with a mix of vodka and peach schnapps. A nice drink to sip on but we would have appreciated a higher potency. Then, came the star, the White Wine Sangria (Rs 285). Ours used a semi-dry white wine infused with finely sliced wedges of green and red apples and orange. Though the drink could have done with a better quality wine, we are not complaining for it made a fresh option when you munched on the wine-drunk fruit dunked into the glass.
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Coming to the tapas, we ordered their Potato Bravas (Rs 145). These were crisp-fried potato cubes coated with a spice that seemed like an oddly familiar childhood taste. Could it have been chaat masala, we pondered? Bravas are one of the most popular tapas in their homeland where they are usually salted potatoes served with a tomato sauce or aioli. Terttulia didn't offer us a dipping sauce but we munched on.
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Next, we indulged in the all-time Spanish favourite, Grilled Chorizo (Rs 260). We expected the traditional sausages but what arrived was tightly rolled up chorizo salami strips pinned together with toothpicks. Yes, they tasted just like the chorizos taste in Spain but they sure were a spin on the traditional meat. Also, they were a tad too oily for our taste. Nonetheless, a perfect bite-sized accompaniment to our Sangria.
The service at Terttulia was polite and our server mostly knew what he was talking about. Apart from trying hard (politely, of course) to get us to stick to the regular bar food and not go for the tapas, he did a great job. What we appreciated was that the service remained discreet even when a gay couple seemingly went a bit overboard and did a little butt-shaking for each other.
Pune's only other fantastic tapas joint, didn't take off as much as it should have and is currently under renovation. Tapas are yet an unexplored market in the city and obviously Terttulia is taking baby-steps and treading with caution. For the kind of buzzing, well-mannered and well-priced place that it is, we do hope the Tapas Bar will live and grow. After all, Pune is the perfect city for tertulias (Spanish for social gatherings).
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At Sanas Corner, Lane 5, South Main Road, Koregaon Park.
Open from 9 am to 11.30 pm
Call 26052180
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