Last night, in honor of my dad's 60th birthday, my parents, my brother and I headed out to Diva for a celebratory dinner. Diva's chef, Ritu Dalmia, is a well-known presence in the Indian food scene, and over the last nine years, Diva has carved out a reputation for having one of the best wine lists in the country and offering high-quality Italian food. Since this was my first visit, I anticipated our meal quite eagerly.
Located in Delhi's Greater Kailash (GK) II M-Block Market, Diva's exterior is decidedly low-key, and the interior is similarly unfussed, yet feels welcoming. The dining area downstairs is small but not cramped, and the glass window with a view of the fire adds a nice touch.
We sat down and perused the menu, settling on two appetizers to be split and four main courses. My mother and I split a Diva classic, the Risotto con funghi misti e passito di tartufo (risotto with wild mushroom, thyme, and truffle paste, Rs. 495). The portion was satisfying but not too filling, and the taste was delicious. It needed perhaps a touch more salt, but the creaminess of the risotto and the flavor of the mushrooms was excellent. My dad and my brother split the Ravioli ripieni di granchio con burro e senape (crab meat ravioli with pan seared scallops in a butter sage sauce with a hint of mustard, Rs. 595), which they found to be satisfying but lacking a little in seasoning. My brother also remarked that he could tell that the seafood was frozen (by necessity) and not fresh.
Then came time for the main courses: for myself, the costolette d'agnello alla Diva, Indian pan-seared lamb chops accompanied with pan-fried wild mushrooms and mashed potatoes (Rs. 790), for my mom, stracci con gorgonzola e spinaci, hand-made pasta in a gorgonzola and spinach sauce (Rs. 495). My brother went with the involtini di vitello con salame e salvia, veal filled rolled with salami sage and celery with an apple and fennel sauce (Rs. 695), and my dad chose the sformatino di formaggio di capra e yogurt con insalata mista, the twice cooked yogurt and goat cheese soufflé, served with a mixed salad (Rs. 480).
My lamb chops were generally excellent; pink, seared to perfection, and flavorful. There were perhaps a few too many mushrooms on the plate (though admittedly, the description did advertise the plate being "loaded" with them), and the mashed potatoes were downright odd (pureed out of existence and combined with cheese to make a singularly strange texture), but the chops themselves were lovely. My mom enjoyed her pasta but felt there could have been a bit more gorgonzola in the sauce. My dad seemed in ecstasy over his soufflé, and my brother eagerly ate his veal.
The wine my dad chose, a Tuscan red, complemented their food perfectly, and though I did not partake, they all felt that it improved throughout the meal and was a tremendous value for money. It was so good that my dad went so far as to order a cheese platter to finish off the meal, which arrived (after a considerable wait), replete with peccorino, goat cheese, and gorgonzola (but light on the bread to eat the cheese with, and our bread basket had been cleared).
Which leads me to my only complaint about the evening, the service. While significantly better than most restaurants in Delhi, and with a head waiter who clearly knew his food and his wine, it still left something to be desired. Towards the end of the meal, we struggled to catch the eye of several waiters to get a refill on water and to inquire after our cheese plate, which took far longer to appear than it should have. Similarly, when it came time to ask for the check, my dad had to ask twice because the waiter did not hear him the first time. I understand that it was nearing the end of the evening for the waitstaff, but attentive service can make or break a restaurant experience, and these took the gleam off an otherwise lovely evening.
Still, I will be heading back to Diva at the next chance I get. Though pricey, it is not exorbitant. The food is well done, the experience enjoyable, and it was nice to see Chef Dalmia popping in and out of the main dining area throughout the evening.
Rating: 4.5/5
photos courtesy of DIVA Italian Restaurant, Delhi
Located in Delhi's Greater Kailash (GK) II M-Block Market, Diva's exterior is decidedly low-key, and the interior is similarly unfussed, yet feels welcoming. The dining area downstairs is small but not cramped, and the glass window with a view of the fire adds a nice touch.
We sat down and perused the menu, settling on two appetizers to be split and four main courses. My mother and I split a Diva classic, the Risotto con funghi misti e passito di tartufo (risotto with wild mushroom, thyme, and truffle paste, Rs. 495). The portion was satisfying but not too filling, and the taste was delicious. It needed perhaps a touch more salt, but the creaminess of the risotto and the flavor of the mushrooms was excellent. My dad and my brother split the Ravioli ripieni di granchio con burro e senape (crab meat ravioli with pan seared scallops in a butter sage sauce with a hint of mustard, Rs. 595), which they found to be satisfying but lacking a little in seasoning. My brother also remarked that he could tell that the seafood was frozen (by necessity) and not fresh.
Then came time for the main courses: for myself, the costolette d'agnello alla Diva, Indian pan-seared lamb chops accompanied with pan-fried wild mushrooms and mashed potatoes (Rs. 790), for my mom, stracci con gorgonzola e spinaci, hand-made pasta in a gorgonzola and spinach sauce (Rs. 495). My brother went with the involtini di vitello con salame e salvia, veal filled rolled with salami sage and celery with an apple and fennel sauce (Rs. 695), and my dad chose the sformatino di formaggio di capra e yogurt con insalata mista, the twice cooked yogurt and goat cheese soufflé, served with a mixed salad (Rs. 480).
My lamb chops were generally excellent; pink, seared to perfection, and flavorful. There were perhaps a few too many mushrooms on the plate (though admittedly, the description did advertise the plate being "loaded" with them), and the mashed potatoes were downright odd (pureed out of existence and combined with cheese to make a singularly strange texture), but the chops themselves were lovely. My mom enjoyed her pasta but felt there could have been a bit more gorgonzola in the sauce. My dad seemed in ecstasy over his soufflé, and my brother eagerly ate his veal.
The wine my dad chose, a Tuscan red, complemented their food perfectly, and though I did not partake, they all felt that it improved throughout the meal and was a tremendous value for money. It was so good that my dad went so far as to order a cheese platter to finish off the meal, which arrived (after a considerable wait), replete with peccorino, goat cheese, and gorgonzola (but light on the bread to eat the cheese with, and our bread basket had been cleared).
Which leads me to my only complaint about the evening, the service. While significantly better than most restaurants in Delhi, and with a head waiter who clearly knew his food and his wine, it still left something to be desired. Towards the end of the meal, we struggled to catch the eye of several waiters to get a refill on water and to inquire after our cheese plate, which took far longer to appear than it should have. Similarly, when it came time to ask for the check, my dad had to ask twice because the waiter did not hear him the first time. I understand that it was nearing the end of the evening for the waitstaff, but attentive service can make or break a restaurant experience, and these took the gleam off an otherwise lovely evening.
Still, I will be heading back to Diva at the next chance I get. Though pricey, it is not exorbitant. The food is well done, the experience enjoyable, and it was nice to see Chef Dalmia popping in and out of the main dining area throughout the evening.
Rating: 4.5/5
photos courtesy of DIVA Italian Restaurant, Delhi
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