Something Italian

Dezio in lush green Kalyani Nagar is a welcome respite, courtesy its Italian food offerings and different level sitting arrangements for different occasions

Something Italian always gets me going. Pune is already a fan of Dario’s Italian offering. His more recent offering is Dezio, located in the verdant location of Kalyani Nagar. Here’s ticking a yes for picking out a perfect spot for a relaxed Italian eatery. It screams of casualness.

LOCATION & AMBIENCE

The moment you enter the premises, relaxed atmosphere sets in with relaxed sitting arrangements. Those who enjoy chatting with friends & family & eating food outdoors will find it perfect.

Step inside the ground plus two-floor eatery complete with open terrace space, each serve different purpose. Ground floor has a lounge space to relax, order your favourite poison and something to suit the drink. Alternatively, shift to the first floor formal dining area. The look is more French with jazz paintings and music. The space looks more relaxed even for a formal dinner and can be used to enjoy a formal meal with family or even your guests of any sort. This area would be called the best of the lot for a great eating and sitting experience. A private entertainment area is on the next floor that can booked for private parties and includes film screening too. Last but not the least; you can visit the terrace, which is the Rooftop Tapas area complete with a fantastic bar and a view to kill. Here, it is all about chilling with friends or colleagues sipping on your drinks, eating tapas food while soaking in the view. The only worry here would be during rains unless they find suitable covering option already. In addition, it is not something for a large crowd unless you make reservations.

FOOD

Dezio offers a decent basket of Italian chow for your hungry tummy. To be precise, it is the Sicilian version seen here, with a good combination of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. The rooftop area consists of tapas food, for a good time with your booze. The thinly sliced Tuna Carpaccio was a great & fresh option, while the Creamy Chicken, Thyme and Mushroom Vol Au Vents were just melt-in-your-mouth delectable with no one ingredient overwhelming the other. There was nothing much to speak about the Crispy Cheese and Bacon Potato Croquette & Poached Egg and Parma Ham Croquette, though it was not per se. The Grilled Lemon Basa Fillet with a Lemon Butter Reduction had a nicely cooked fresh Basa fillet complimented by the delicate flavours.

Head for the fine dining section which has its own menu. The Carpaccio Di Bietola or sliced beetroot with homemade cheese, rucola & caramelised walnuts with a balsamic dressing, came out as an amazing combination to win even hardcore beetroot haters. I thought the Caltagirone Pizza, which had fresh tomato sauce, mozzarella, Parma ham, rucola, Parmesan cheese, was just like any other well-done authentic pizza worth its money. It was not too cheesy or had overflowing tomato sauce. Crispy base and the right amount of delectable Parma ham made it pretty good option. The Risotto Boscaiolo and Gnocchi Con Pancetta or homemade gnocchi with potato & carrot with a bacon, cherry tomato, basil & sage cream sauce, were well cooked but I could not connect with it.

What added the finishing touch to a rather balanced meal was the dessert. The Trio Of Tarts with Tangy Lemon, Yoghurt & Salted Caramel Chocolate were delicately flavoured and just made me want more of it. In fact, whatever meal you order, you have to include the tarts to it. Another good suggestion would be to try out the wine section, which is well selected.

On a few moments, one seems to notice drinks being not being up to the mark but quick service meant the issues were rectified immediately and to good effect.

SERVICE & COST

Service is a mix between attentive servers who occasionally need to be reminded of orders. Well-informed servers made their level best to attend to your orders and questions.

You can safely consider going to Dezio more than once a week as the pricing can be found easy on the pocket. The eatery offer deals which might interest foodies.'

OVERALL

For critical Puneri foodies, Dezio would be a welcome option, if you like Italian food at a reasonable budget. If looking for desi Italian, I would not suggest this place. However, for any occasion, both formal dining or just chilling with friends, family or colleagues, Dezio is a neat offering. Some pleasantries & lot of good food are a must, indeed!