Shisha Cafe

<p>Born out a mutual love for music, Shisha Caf&eacute; as an idea was conceived on the doorstep of a hole-in-the-wall pizza parlour in Koregaon Park. While Mehdi always had the dream of starting a mountainside Iranian caf&eacute; here in Pune, the idea of combining that with a Jazz venue and a coffee shop appealed to Prithvi as well.</p><p>This idea came into fruition when they were offered a dusty terrace in the sylvan green surroundings of ABC farms in December 2002, by Mr. Sohrab Chinoy. Within six weeks, they had a Jazz Caf&eacute; going. The restaurant started with a great party on the night of 19th January 2003.</p><p>Prithvi and Mehdi have both had many years experience in running and managing restaurants. Mehdi comes from one of Pune&rsquo;s most successful old Iranian restaurants &ndash; Sunrise Caf&eacute; in Deccan Gymkhana. Prithvi started Pune&rsquo;s first hookah restaurant Basho in Mundhwa, a stone&rsquo;s throw away. The success of Shisha Caf&eacute; is entirely due to the efforts of these two.</p><p>Over the years, Shisha Cafe has become a name synonymous with quality food, amazing music and awesome ambience &ndash; perfect to visit with friends and where you can chill out completely!</p>

<p>Shisha Caf&eacute; is the premier jazz spot in Pune, and arguably one of the only pure jazz cafes in the country. We take our music very seriously indeed. After all, the right music creates the best ambience a place could hope for. Expect the best in jazz, blues and beyond.</p><p>Shisha Caf&eacute; regularly features live bands on most Thursday evenings at 8.30 pm. You&rsquo;ll hear dynamic drumbeats, tuneful guitars and soulful saxophones, some blowing their magic in a rhythmic fusion of bop, swing, funk, trad, straight ahead and more, in fact a wide sweep of the best that 21^st-century world music has to offer.</p><p>This weekly sound feast culminates in an annual jazz festival held in August.</p><p>We are always on the lookout for fresh new talent. We encourage upcoming jazz artists to come and play at Shisha, so that they can reach a discerning audience, and get onto a wider platform, vis-a-vis the music. Contact us today to get dates when you can perform at Shisha Caf&eacute;.</p>

<p>True to its world music orientation, Shisha Caf&eacute; jazz evenings involve Indian musicians as well as those from abroad. This is a list of the musicians who have played at Shisha Caf&eacute;:</p><p>Gary Lawyer<br />Jonathan Freilich (from New Orleans)<br />Marga &amp; The Soul Chasers<br />Drumming Doctors<br />Ashwabodhi (Germany)<br />Kira Intrator (USA)<br />Subodha (Italy)<br />Swing Brasileiro (Bossanova band, Brazil)<br />Julian Howison (UK)<br />Jazzy Joe &amp; the Jazz Junkys<br />Uncle Crow<br />Avraham (Israel)<br />Global Unity<br />The Mahindra United World College (Class of 2003-4)<br />Sidewinders (Mercedes Benz School Band, Pune)<br />Tonus Music (Switzerland)<br />Junkt<br />Takabanda<br />Chhand &amp; Friends<br />Four Point Two<br />Zubin &amp; Friends (Sufi Band, Holland)<br />Papa J (former band member, Osibisa)<br />Eric Garnier (Hot French Sax Player)<br />Jazz Junction<br />Sound OK Horn</p>

<p>Shisha Caf&eacute; is the premier jazz spot in Pune, and arguably one of the only pure jazz cafes in the country. We take our music very seriously indeed. After all, the right music creates the best ambience a place could hope for. Expect the best in jazz, blues and beyond.</p><p>Shisha Caf&eacute; regularly features live bands on most Thursday evenings at 8.30 pm. You&rsquo;ll hear dynamic drumbeats, tuneful guitars and soulful saxophones, some blowing their magic in a rhythmic fusion of bop, swing, funk, trad, straight ahead and more, in fact a wide sweep of the best that 21^st-century world music has to offer.</p>

<h3>Shisha Cuisine</h3><p>The restaurant opens at 10 in the morning with the traditional Iranian breakfast of omelettes and chai, as well as sandwiches and burgers. We are open all day to serve special brew of Turkish coffee and a selection of fine Indian and Iranian teas. The menu offers a broad choice of authentic Iranian cuisine, as well as a good spread of Indian and Continental food.</p><p>We offer an original eating environment with a warm sense of the exotic, and a truly special setting for your most memorable moments. The restaurant has comfortable seating for up to 200 people.</p><p>Shisha Caf&eacute; is open all day to serve you rare brews of Turkish coffees and a variety of Indian and Iranian teas.</p>