When Food is not only about satisfying one’s hunger

Food is not only about satisfying one’s hunger. It should be a delight for the senses and go on to uplift the soul,” says Chef Shailendra Kekade, who has spearheaded several successful restaurants in Pune. He was instrumental in turning Stone Water Grill, a European fine-dining restaurant with a buzzing bar, into one of Pune’s best restaurants. Later, he created the menu for Santé, a restaurant synonymous with flavourful vegetarian wellness food conceptualized by Sonal Barmecha; Santé has subsequently opened in other cities as well.

When Darios, a popular vegetarian Italian restaurant located in Koregaon Park, Pune, moved location, Sonal decided to move Santé to a part of the outdoor section of the spacious premises where Darios used to be. And, with Chef Kekade, she opened a new restaurant in the vacated indoor space and part of the contiguous outdoor area. Given the long association with Darios, Sonal decided to create an Italian restaurant with a menu of signature vegetarian preparations inspired by the ingredients and techniques of traditional Italian cuisine.