Garden Vada Pav
Located in the Camp area of the city, Garden Vada Pav is perhaps the most popular spot for vada pav in Pune. The perfectly cooked potato stuffing and thick deep fried exterior of the fritter is a recipe unchanged through decades! What makes this vada pav stand out is its tasty potato filling and the spicy green chutney that adds a kick to the snack. Served with chura or fried, doughy crisps, one has to wade through a throng of people to get to this coveted snack at the crowded haunt.
Joshi Wadewale
Joshi Wadewale has branches across the city and is an absolute favourite for its powdered garlic chutney sprinkled generously inside the pav before inserting the potato fritter. While Joshi Wadewale started out with the flavour-packed vada, the chain has quickly become a favourite for its onion pakodas, batata bhaji (flat, crispy potato pakodas) and gol pakodas that simply have to be ordered as the perfect sides to the signature vada pav.
Rohit Wadewale
Another OG spot is Rohit Wadwale, famous for its Zatka Vada Pav, the perfect treat for those who love a hit of spice in their food. Fashioned like a burger, the bread is lathered with a Kolhapuri-style thecha (smashed red chilly chutney) before placing the potato fritter between the two slices. Served with a side of French fries, crispy, salted fried chillies and a cracker of a garlic chutney, this vada pav guarantees an absolute explosion of flavour, a true zatka (jolt) as its name suggests.
S Kumar Wadewale
This vada pav stall first opened in Hadapsar and is nearly always engulfed in crowds of people, with a delicious enough reason! S Kumar Wadewale that has now been around for decades is known to serve a larger-than-average vada, only half of which can make it into the pav. The fritter is always hot and crispy while the tang of the chutney infused with mint and garlic elevates this relatively simple snack to a higher level of spiciness and flavour.
