Durvankur Dinning Hall

If you walk down Tilak Road in Sadashiv Peth, you’ll find us at number 1166. It’s a pretty standard dining hall setup. We focus on getting meals out to people who are usually in a bit of a hurry or just want a simple plate of food. The kitchen starts up early, around seven or so, because there is so much chopping and prep to do before the doors open. We get our vegetables from the local market and sometimes they aren't exactly what we wanted, so we just make do with what is available that day. The hall itself has simple tables and chairs that have seen a lot of use over the years. We keep them clean, but you can tell they’ve been there a while. It’s not the kind of place where you stay for hours talking. You come in, you eat, and you go about your day. I think that’s why people like us. There’s no pressure to be anything other than a hungry person. The noise of the traffic from Tilak Road usually filters in, so it’s never truly silent here. Some days the heat in the kitchen is almost too much, but we have a couple of big fans that help a bit. The staff knows the regulars by heart now. We don't need a computer to remember what someone likes. It’s just a neighborhood place doing its thing in the middle of Pune.