Cafe Diva is one of the many restaurants co-owned by the celebrity chef Ritu Dalmia, along with Diva Italian, Diva Spiced, The Cafe at ICC, Latitude 28, and Depot 29.I decided to review Cafe Diva first, because I have an affinity for cafes and the young lady (my daughter) was in a girls night mood, and ‘diva’ seemed appropriate.
Location
It is on the first floor in N block of GK-1 in the arty, intellectual company of Fab India, Anokhi, Kilol and other shops where socialites gather for coffee. I felt the location was ideal.
N 8, N block market
Greater Kailash-1New Delhi
The Hours
Timings 11:30 am to 11:30 pm
The Ambiance
Truly Italian cafe feel, but not too casual, with classy interiors. The bar has fresh salads, olive oils and desserts on display, dark framed pictures of all things Italy (including the quintessential Vespa), dim lighting by lampshades with map imprints and reflecting panels to lend a roomier feel – all creating a definitely a classy look. The seating is comfortable and the tables have a bottle of olive oil & balsamic bottle,with dukkah, oregano and chillies.
The Service
One word – impeccable!
The Food
We started off on the complimentary but perfect Focaccia warmed that tasted amazing with the Egyptian 5 spice – dukkah mixed in olive oil.
The cuisine here is Italian and fusion – from pizzas and paninisto hints of MiddleEast, Pan Asian and Indian. They even have a kokum curry on the menu.
Chicken Salad – This warm salad has chicken strips coated in sesame, very Asian, in a bed of greens, lettuce and rocket with crunchy slivers of almonds, in balsamic sesame dressing for an Italian twist.I thoroughly enjoyed it, so did the young lady.So I assume it gets the tick from all ages.
Norma Pizza – This is a thin crust pizza , right out of the wood fired oven with delicious bubbly cheese, grilled aubergines, sundried tomatoes and bell peppers. So Italian, it made my girl go mamma mia.!
Fish – The fish I ordered for my main course was a chilly encrusted Tilapia in fragrant lemon grass and herb broth, and yes, it was as delicious as it sounds. I loved the Thai twist to the flavors and was thankful for the spoon to scoop up the sumptuous broth. The Tilapia itself was perfect, clean flavors, light and tender.
Tiramisu – I am a sucker for Tiramisu and I wasn’t going to walk out of an Italian chef’s place without trying her take on it. It was absolutely divine.I was delighted to see its presentation in a shallow rectangular dish , and there seemed to be more of it too!I think it works better in a shallow dish rather than the jars which other places serve it in. Also,it was served with a helping of delicious coffee liqueur, enhancing the flavors and the experience.
Flourless chocolate torte- This was another not-to-be-missed dessert a must have for my chocolate addict company. Since then, my girl has labeled this her favourite dessert across the board. It was warm, not too sweet, moist and rich, served with, spot on homemade cookies and creamy ice cream.So good, I shamelessly asked for seconds and much to my delight was indulged by our server too. Perfect end to a perfect meal!
Would I go there again? Of course. There are too many dishes on the menu I definitely want to try and savor, smitten as I was, by the fusion take. And of course, I have to go for the Italian expresso some day! It seems to be a great place for catching up with friends, a casual date or even a romantic evening.
The Pricing
A meal for 2 with a starter, mains and dessert will set you back by around Rs. 2500.and well worth it.