That's the way I like it

Mystery Guest

The new Olive in Delhi offers good food, great service and superlative ambience.

Rarely can you better a restaurant that was as well-loved as Olive in Delhi. The location, the ambience of that Olive made it a sure-fire hit when it opened a few years ago. Then it closed, part of the commercial sealing drive that Delhi was witness to recently. The new Olive has now opened in a location that many, including this writer, were sceptical about. Hotel Diplomat on Sardar Patel Marg has been around for a long time, but Olive-lovers weren't sure how this small hotel could hide within its precincts the appropriate space that Olive needed to be Olive.

But wonders do happen and the new Olive is quite beautiful, though not in the same league as the old Olive. For those who have never been to the earlier place, this one has enough magic to draw you within its fold. If the interior décor is beautiful (lots of white with dashes of écru and blue), the service is superlative. Anup, the floor manager, greets us as we seat ourselves at a nice table for two. He introduces himself and answers questions that we throw at him with aplomb. But he and his team don't just score with smart answers, they take orders quickly and serve food at the right intervals. And when we ask for a refill of the complimentary dish of hummus, sun-dried tomato butter and olives, it appears with a flourish, no questions asked.

The food and the drinks are also superb. My colleague, an unwilling accomplice on this assignment, orders a Tom Collins which is made to perfection. My glass of red wine too comes, without any real drama, but then you can't really go wrong with a glass of red wine. The salad, the pizza and the desert all come as they should. Plates between courses are cleared efficiently and we sit back amazed by the restaurant and the sheer pleasure of dining at a place that understands that good service is what customers are looking for today.

As we wait outside for our respective cars, the Olive management has thoughtfully provided a heater at the gate so that you don't freeze to death on a cold winter night. Good-looking with a heart, that's the new Olive. What more can one want in life?

Score: 9/10. Just keep up the good work, people.