Orlo, Hyderabad: A Dining Room For The City, A Love Letter To Indian Hospitality

Hyderabad’s dining scene has many moods, but Orlo arrives with something rarer. On a recent work trip to Hyderabad, I found myself seated amongst other journalists, enjoying an Eastern thali with all my heart. It was a mess-style meal that instantly reminded me of my hostel days, minus the bland food, of course.

Orlo's hospitality is shaped by the visionaries behind Vikksit Hospitality. At the centre of this movement is Vickas Passary, whose past ventures from India’s only Belgian beer house to the beloved Little Italy and So the Sky Kitchen, reveal a desire to give back to Hyderabad through spaces that feel warm and generous.

Alongside his wife, Vinita Passary, he sets the tone for a brand defined by intention and care. Joining them in leadership are Ashwini Maisekar, who brings financial rigour and a people-first instinct to building community; Kshitij Bhuraria, whose global training and curiosity shape his guest-forward vision; and Dhruv Agarwal, whose entrepreneurial drive transforms ideas into lived, shared experiences. 

Design & Interiors

Set beside the glassy stretch of Durgam Cheruvu lake, the 85-seater strikes an immediate sense of calm. Inside, the design language unfolds with quiet confidence. On the entrance, a brass sign with the name of the restaurant catches the light in all the right ways, its soft gleam echoed in the room’s earthy palette. Along one wall, wooden cabinets hold handwritten labels, jars, books and small culinary artefacts, creating an intimate, almost nostalgic sense of discovery. 

Even the day’s menu appears on a casually scribbled whiteboard, lending the impression of a home kitchen that rewrites itself every morning. As sunlight pours in, it washes over stone floors and gently illuminates the long communal table, where polished thalis sit gleaming. The coloured-glass panels behind the bar shift mood throughout the day – amber in the bright afternoon, ruby as the light begins to dip, offering a modern nod to traditional jharokhas.

Acutelittledetail: You will find a cabinet of doll figurines that are often used as placeholders for the number of guests at the table.

A Taste Of India

Orlo unfolds as a deeply personal interpretation of Indian hospitality, imagined by its founders as a dining room where warmth is instinctive, and generosity is the default setting. The experience begins with the simplest gesture, the familiar “Aur lo,” where meals are crafted to bring people together, rooted in techniques that honour memory and tradition. This sensibility fuels Orlo’s dual character: by day, it slips into a mess-style persona, serving abundant rotating meals from Punjab, Rajasthan, Bengal, and Assam. By evening, the space exhales into something slower and more exploratory, led by an à la carte menu and a highball bar that raises a toast to everyday Indian nostalgia. 

The menu unfolds like a storybook of regions and rituals, beginning with playful churmur bowls and moving through street-style chaats, smoky sigdi plates, and the familiar warmth of daal, bhaat, and roti. The opening act is Churmur, Orlo's spirited, crunchy, eat-with-your-hands ode to India’s snacking culture. Aloo Tuk dusted with masala, the Mukharochak Papri Chanachur, Kurkuri Bhindi, and mutton lonche. Chaat takes its cue from India’s streets, served in small portions with big personality: crispy spinach patta chaat, Bombay-style ragda pattice, and the perfect-bite Dim’er Chop with ghugni and chutneys. From here, the fire takes over. The Tandoor section expands the smoky story with paneer thecha, makhmali chicken, mustardy ajwaini fish, and classic street-style murgh tikka.

The Regional Mains read like a culinary atlas: Bengal’s chenna’r kofta inspired by widow’s kitchens, Sindhi kadhi with its post-partition memory, Bhutan’s fiery Ema Datshi, Mumbai’s East Indian curry built on bottle masala, Rampuri white qorma from aristocratic kitchens, Delhi’s paneer makhni and butter chicken shaped by urban nostalgia, Meghalaya’s sesame-scented Dohneiiong, Rajasthan’s malai pyaaz ki sabzi with khoba roti, and the Chettinad and Bengali mutton dishes, each layered with history and heart.

Drinks

The drinks at Orlo follow the same philosophy as the food: familiar flavours, reimagined with finesse. The signature cocktails lean into Indian accents with quiet confidence. Think clarified citrus sharpened with Gondhoraj lime, a coastal-inspired gin highball brightened with kokum, and a smoky whisky blend finished with jaggery for a caramelised depth.

For those who prefer lighter sips, the bar champions refreshing, slow-sipped coolers: house-made shrubs, spiced lemonades, and fruit-forward blends that echo the tang and freshness found across India’s regional cuisines. Even the non-alcoholic offerings feel elevated, with cold-pressed juices, cane-based spritzers, and a spotlight on herbal infusions that pair beautifully with the menu’s bold flavours. 

ELLE Gourmet’s Verdict

Orlo stands out not for grandeur but for intention. The design is warm, the food is soulful, and the energy shifts effortlessly from sunlit comfort to evening sparkle. It is rare to find a space that feels this personal at scale, this polished without pretence. A meal here feels less like dining out and more like being welcomed into a beautifully imagined home, one where the stories are as generous as the servings.

Where: 3rd Floor, R Quad, beside Ncc Building, Doctor's Colony, Madhapur, Hyderabad, Telangana 500081

Day service hours: 12 noon to 3 pm

Evening service hours: 7 pm to 11 pm

Day meals starting from: ₹500 onwards

Evening à la carte: ₹2,000 for two