We tried the lunch buffet at Cafe Bay Leaf at Holiday Inn, Pune last weekend. The spread was very impressive at first glance. However, when you read deeper into it, there were disappointments. There was no beverage offered in the price of the buffet, even non-alcoholic - rather strange and uncompetitive, I thought! Both the soups on offer were 'spicy' and I could not try either.
But what was totally unexpected and therefore a complete spoiler was the poor taste of the food - especially compared to the visual appeal. The crunchy fried vegetables were literally sticking to each other and simply awful. The thai chicken yellow curry and the paneer korma were totally tasteless. The saag chicken was the only thing I loved. Desserts were ok, nothing extraordinary there, apart from may be the fruit pie. The savior was the number of dishes - you were full just by trying a bit of each.
Overall, the service and ambiance were more than satisfactory, but I am unlikely to give the fare another chance!
