There's a new restaurant in Lonavala, and here's all you need to know about it

Lonavala Fog Egg

Mist rolling over the mountains, the scent of rain in the air and the quiet beauty of the Sahyadris never lose their charm. On this year's mandatory monsoon trip to Lonavala, we found ourselves at Mirari, a new culinary bungalow by the family behind Old Pune highway's Sunny Da Dhaba, leafing through carefully preserved Mid-Day clippings from the early 2000s.

For three decades, Sunny Da Dhaba has been a Lonavala institution. Bollywood regulars, legendary butter chicken, khatiya khatiya seating and unpretentious hospitality have kept diners returning. Founder Sharad Wadhwani's story began long before the dhaba.

"My parents came from Sindh after Partition with almost nothing. They had around Rs 300 and no property. We first opened a small hotel in Khopoli, then two truck dhabas, before Sunny Da Dhaba in 1996," he shares. Now, alongside his sons, Ameet and Sumeet, Wadhwani has opened Mirari on Lonavala's main road. It pairs nostalgia with modern dining and is designed as a place to linger.

Truffle & Herb Kothambari Wadi and Homemade Ginger Ale

The space houses two distinct restaurants. Leni, named after the region's ancient Buddhist cave sanctuaries, serves artisanal coffee, comforting bakes and familiar classics in an unhurried setting. We started with the Shrub of Pesto (Rs 550), a herb-forward pasta that was delicious. The Baked Jackfruit and Aubergine Polpette (Rs 625), with caramelised jackfruit and aubergine ‘meatballs', didn't quite come together for us.

The Mirari's Hillside Bhutta (Rs 375) channelled the nostalgia of monsoon evenings with its smoky, buttery flavours. The Nashville Fried Chicken Burger (Rs 550) delivered on heat, crunch and comfort, while the Crispy Prawns and Mathucha (Rs 650) paired succulent prawns with mathucha in an interesting combination.

mid-day articles featuring Sunny Dhaba in the 2000s

However, the flavours didn't feel entirely cohesive. We washed it all down with the Homemade Ginger Ale (Rs 355), Spiced Kokum (Rs 325) and a rich Hot Chocolate (Rs 325). The standout, however, was the Skillet Chocolate Chip Brookie (Rs 425), part brownie, part cookie, served warm with a molten centre. It's reason enough to make the drive to Lonavala.

"Lonavala's café culture is still evolving, and we felt there was room for something new," says Sumeet. With Mirari, they wanted to create a bungalow that honours the legacy of Sunny Da Dhaba while offering a more contemporary dining experience. So you will find Signature dishes like the Butter Chicken, Paneer Noor Jani and Veg Noor Jani "Like French cuisine has its mother sauces, we have our own mother gravies. Everything builds from there," says Ameet.

Dinner was at Avaali, a contemporary Indian restaurant inspired by the hills and valleys surrounding Lonavala. We began with the Truffle and Herb Kothambari Wadi (Rs 425), which had all the comforting flavours of the Maharashtrian classic, though the truffle was barely discernible. Perhaps that's not a bad thing. The Chef's Special Chicken Rojali Tikka (Rs 700) was the star of the meal, succulent, smoky and beautifully charred.

The Kheema Pattice (Rs 700) instantly transported us to the old clubs and bylanes of Chembur, its crisp potato shell giving way to a richly spiced kheema filling. The Prawn Tempura with Thai Nam Yam (Rs 425) packed serious heat and isn't for the faint-hearted. The 100-Layer Sindhi Aloo Tuk Chaat (Rs 425) was a clever take on the classic, with impossibly crisp potatoes layered into an indulgent chaat.

OG Butter Chicken, Kolhapuri Missal Bao and OG Veg Noorjaanı

At the same time, the Kolhapuri Misal Bao (Rs 450) tucked the fiery Maharashtrian favourite into a pillowy bao. You miss the traditional pav, but this pairing works surprisingly well. The Ghee Roast Nadru Seekh Kebab (Rs 510), fragrant with ghee roast spices, was another standout. We rounded off the meal with the OG Veg Noorjaani (Rs 690) and OG Butter Chicken (Rs 790), mopped up with flaky Malabar Parathas (Rs 180) and Lachcha Parathas (Rs 180), flavours familiar enough to take us on a nostalgic trip to Sunny's Dhaba.

The decision to open Mirari, he admits, was far more complex than opening Sunny Da Dhaba three decades ago. "Back then there were only one or two dhabas on the old Mumbai-Pune highway. The Expressway didn't exist, and competition was limited. Today diners have changed. They're more health-conscious and looking for lighter, more varied food."

Spiced Kokum and Kheema Pattice

Mirari is the family's answer to that shift, pairing the legacy of Sunny Da Dhaba with a contemporary dining experience. That evolution is visible beyond the menu. A grazing table laden with dips, breads and small bites greets diners, encouraging them to linger and share. "I'd seen the concept become popular in Mumbai and wanted to bring it here," says Sumeet. His hospitality education helps bring in practical decisions. "During our trial dinners, my family kept asking, ‘What exactly are we eating?' But they all agreed it tasted good," he laughs.

And keeping that simplicity of guests in mind, the menus at Leni and Avaali have been designed to be familiar rather than intimidating. "We wanted a little something for everyone, so no one leaves feeling there wasn't anything for them," says Ameet's wife, Kiah who has been instrumental in building the menu. "The flavours are familiar, just reimagined. At Avaali, we've taken classics like Sindhi aloo tuk and turned it into a chaat. We also serve Dal Pakwan Chaat and Sindhi Keema. Indian restaurant menus are usually dominated by North Indian food. We wanted to give Sindhi cuisine a place too., which is rare on mainstream menus."

The offering, she says, is still evolving. "This is an evolving menu because we first wanted to understand the market. Within the first couple of weeks, we realised people wanted more vegetarian sandwiches, so we added two. That's how menus grow. You keep listening and refining." Outside, an all-day bakery and takeaway counter is operational, with plans to eventually bring Leni's full dessert menu there as well.

The patriarch, Sharad feels the business is finally in safe hands in the next generation. "My two sons are my right eye and my left," he smiles. While they've embraced technology, digital systems and social media, he is proudest that they've remained grounded. "You see families sitting together without speaking to one another. My sons stand together. That's a blessing." After four decades in hospitality, he says he's ready to retire. "My wife has sacrificed for forty years. It's time I gave some of that time back to her."

On your way back, stop by Sunny's Dhaba for nostalgia's sake, even if it's for a cup of dhabe-wali-chai and head home through the old winding road through the Sahyadris, watching monsoon waterfalls cascading over mountain cliffs. You'll love it.

Where: Mirari, Old Bombay Pune Highway, Lonavala