This chic lounge bar by night and cafe by day is a diner's delight with a focus on draft beer and fine wine
This chic lounge bar by night and cafe by day is a diner's delight with a focus on draft beer and fine wine
As you walk past the bustling 80 Feet Road, the one that divides 5 Block from 6 Block and already boasts of several shopping destinations like Rosebys and W, you're bound to find several of Koramangala's food temples.
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Be it the traditional Kairali or the more eastern and popular Esplanade, you're sure to find at least one restaurant in the vicinity that will cater to your every food craving.
Olio is the latest addition and the only difference that is most obvious is that it caters to the IT crowd that now calls Koramangala home. 
The lounge bar is hard to miss in all the bustle, especially with a laser scanner that throws the name Olio on your feet as you enter.
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Doubling as a trendy and chic lounge by night and cafe in the hours between, the clubby vibe teamed with the Euro ambience makes this a sure check-out cozy destination.
u00a0Barely four days since it threw its doors open, we dropped by to check if it was bewitching enough with all these added attractions.
We noticed several groomed professionals hanging out here and we concluded it was because the ambience was not too intimidating or OTT and neither was it too rustic. The music also seemed perfectly chosen and featured a good mix of retro, hard rock and soft rock.
u00a0The concept of the lounge comes from the word Olio, often referred to as a melting pot. The dish is a delicacy and is nothing but meats, veggies and spices all cooked together in a pot, an olla (ol'ya) till they turn into one helluva sumptuous meal. The food lived up to the name, but what also caught my attention was the extensive wine and beer menu.
There's a large selection of over 30 Indian (with an impetus on Karnataka wines) and global wines, some addictive, some easy to knock back, some smooth and some simply refusing to grow on you. A selection of Sangrias we were told would be added on the menu in a weeks time.
u00a0The food featured an exhaustive 150-dish-menu and quite makes up for the missing hard liquor. I was feeling peckish, so dived straight into the chicken dim sums called the Pot Stickers here, which went well with my glass of Manthan from the Kinvah label.u00a0
u00a0Chef Subhankar Dhar who made a mark with his Bengali fine dining repertoire at Esplanade (in the same building), now ensures this menu also gleams with his impeccable touch. Continuing with the rosemary flavoured crispy fried chicken which was crunchy on the outside and had a nice bite on the inside.
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I then tried the pan-fried fish with Thai chilli and basil followed by grilled lettuce bundles with chicken hoisin or chicken bites wrapped in crunchy leaves, which gave a pleasant offset to the tingling Thai chilli fish I had just devoured.
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I was still on a carnivorous spree, but my dining companion chose to go veg and picked the crackling spinach, which he said was incredibly zestful. The chilli cheese stuffed mushrooms were also sensually cheesy.
The starters scored high on our rating and it was time to sample some main course.
We gave the salads and wrap section a skip for the next time and tried fish in sweet soya and basil served with woodear and celery fried rice, which was a good idea. This piping hot and tangy treat with a palpable and tender feel, quite satisfyingly completed our meal.
With the smorgasbord of Euro-Asian dishes on the menu, teamed with a dizzying list of international wines in the Olio cellar, it's easy to get indulgent, but remember, there can always be a next time. There will definitely be one for us.
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At 151, KHB Colony, Ground Floor, 5 Block, Koramangala
Call 4092 7888
Time 12 noon to 11.30 pm
Meal for two Rs 1,500
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