Driving from Mumbai to Lonavala? Add this scenic café to your itinerary

There are few things better than leaving Mumbai for a meal that feels like you have travelled much farther than a couple of hours. Tucked away in Lonavala, Fiori is the kind of restaurant that makes a strong case for turning a quick hill-station drive into an actual day out.

Set within Regenta SG’s Greenotel, Fiori is a glasshouse restaurant built around two things that rarely come together this effortlessly: thoughtful vegetarian food and a space that makes you want to linger. The restaurant comes from siblings Suraj and Sanskriti Gupta, second-generation entrepreneurs from the family-owned hotel, who have brought their own take on hospitality to the property.

The glasshouse is the main attraction

Fiori’s biggest draw is visible before the food even arrives. Designed with a strong focus on natural elements, the restaurant is surrounded by greenery, wooden details, and plenty of natural light. Its polycarbonate sliding roofs can open up the space, letting the outdoors become part of the dining room.

There is something particularly appealing about the setting in Lonavala, where the weather and landscape already do most of the work. Add warm ambient lighting, flowers, earthy textures, and locally crafted wooden elements, and Fiori feels contemporary without becoming overly polished.

The idea is simple: the glasshouse should remain at the centre of the experience. It is a place that works equally well for a long lunch, an early evening coffee, or dinner that stretches well past sunset.

What’s on the menu?

Fiori’s menu is entirely vegetarian, drawing from European and Mediterranean flavours while keeping the food approachable and familiar.

Start with the cream of mushroom soup, finished with crème fraîche and truffle oil, or opt for the beetroot and goat cheese salad, which pairs orange segments, apple, toasted almond flakes and honey mustard dressing for something fresher and more textured.

There are plenty of options for a table that likes to share. The black bean chilli con carne taco comes with cheddar cheese, sour cream, and caramelised onion, while the Neapolitan pizza is topped with assorted mushrooms and goat cheese. For something more substantial, the mushroom pecorino cannelloni is rich and comforting, while the orzo risotto offers another hearty vegetarian option.

And then there is dessert, which is difficult to skip when the options include cookie tart with salted caramel ice cream, Dutch truffle chocolate cake with orange crème anglaise, tiramisu cake and goat cheese panna cotta.

Stay for the drinks

The bar menu makes Fiori just as suited to an evening out as it is to a daytime escape. Cocktails range from the tequila-based Bee Sting, made with jalapeños and honey, to Lavender Love, a combination of dry gin, lavender, apple, and lime. Fiori’s Sunset brings together Aperol, grapefruit juice, vodka, tequila, and tonic for a refreshing, citrus-forward serve.

There is also plenty for those skipping alcohol. The miel latte combines coffee with cinnamon and honey, while matchas, coffees and smoothies round out the drinks menu. The peanut butter and banana smoothie and blueberry and walnut smoothie are easy choices for a slower morning or afternoon.

So, is it worth the drive?

If you are looking for another excuse to get out of Mumbai for a few hours, Fiori makes a convincing one. The restaurant feels removed from the pace of the city without requiring an elaborate weekend plan. It is the combination that makes it work: a glasshouse surrounded by greenery, a menu that takes vegetarian food beyond the predictable, and a setting that encourages you to stay a little longer than planned.

Sometimes, all a weekend needs is a good drive, a table by the window, and somewhere beautiful to sit for a few hours. Fiori fits the brief.

Lead image: VCK Communications 

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