Found in the midst of MG Road opposite The Leather Lounge and in the basement of the Wonderland complex, Toons is a popular Pune joint for college students playing a wide variety of rock music. At least during the weekend (when we went) a cover charge of INR300 gives you credit you must spend before leaving. Fortunately their prices are reasonable with beer costing around INR80 and an average selection of foods including burgers and Chinese at very reasonable prices. Of course, I should tell you this is more of a bar with food rather than a restaurant with music.

Toons is decorated with a number of kitschy items ranging from large scale cartoon drawings that look like they came directly from a Mad magazine to a large Manchester United club flag though pretty relevant with football playing on a number of small TVs around the room. A DJ sits in a booth taking requests and plays a mix of old and very modern rock. The line of people waiting at its entrance indicates its a popular hangout. The crowd is noticeably large groups of guys, though the women to men ratio was much higher than a number of other bars I’d been to.

Be prepared for noise if you do go to Toons. The volume levels are pretty high requiring some pretty loud voices to talk to the people close to you. It’s also a place where group Karaoke is very popular with the DJ turning the volume down during the chorus of some songs and the entire bar sings, or more accurately shouts, the chorus. I remember a couple of songs from Green Day and Linkin Park where this occured.

Details: Cafe Toons (The Lager Café Down Under)
Found at: 26 Wonderland, 7, MG Road, Pune, India
Contactable on: Tel: 26136879/66011942
Highlights: A selection of rock songs from a wide variety of eras (there will be something you’ll probably not enjoy). It has a buzzing atmosphere from its popularity and is worth the experience.
Room for improvement: The place is pretty dark and the music tends to be quite loud, making it sometimes difficult to have a conversation with people across the table.
The Kua Rating: 7 out of 10