Set amidst the lush and olive green landscape of Mahalaxmi Race Course's Amateur Riders Club, a Mediterranean eatery with a dominant Italian touch will weave a spell that will entrap many.
 
The opening party's tomorrow, and after that, the party can really begin as it opens to diners officially on Wednesday.

At the Riders Club, Olive has a seating capacity of about 80. The restaurant has a charming seating space outside, reminiscent of a porch dining area, but cut off from the activity outside to give it a laidback setting where one can get together with friends on a sultry summer evening and sip chilled wine.

The décor on the inside has a Mediterranean feel with small tiger heads jutting out of walls that have not been evened out, to give it more of a provincial look. Along both sides of the walls, tables are drawn up with white cushions on settees that make for comfortable sitting. On one side of the wall behind the settees, is a long rack broken up into triangles stocking bottles of wines in every triangle. The ornamentation of the place is basic but visually pleasing with one wall dedicated to free hand wall painting with a picturesque effect of patterned flowers, leaves and twirling vines in bright bursts of blues and greens, fuchsia, lilac and purple.

It is bright inside, owing to the big glass windows that filter in warm rays. And while you dine, you can have a good look at the stables where the horses can make for a very interesting spectacle. I tried not to get distracted by a horse who was reaching out for a piece of cloth hung outside his enclosure that was way beneath his reach. In the heart of a concrete jungle, this is as close as you can get to the elements.

The eatery proposes to have a breakfast, lunch and a dinner menu as well. Breakfast, because Riders Club sees a lot of people coming in for their early morning rides at around 6 am.

Says restaurateur A D Singh, "There are not many charming options when you think of dining in this part of town. The town area can be divided into two sections, one being the Worli-Marine Drive area, while the other, you can say, encompasses Colaba, Cuffe Parade and Nariman Point that is way downtown.

In this part, the options are limited apart from Blue Frog, Hard Rock and Shiro close by and Four Seasons, which has recently opened up. We were looking to open a branch in this side of town. The place aims to be one that has a country feel to it, a look that is unhurried where one can get together with friends for a good meal and pleasant conversation."

We sat down with Chef Massimiliano Orlati (prefers Max for short) who guided us through a detailed outline of what the menu offers.

And so began various conversations on food and condiments, starting from olives and chillies to pastas and cheese. On being asked how different the menu will be from the one at Olive, Bandra he says, "The focus is on the root of the food. The Bolognese sauce that I have used traces its origin to the time when my grandmother used to make it at home. I have tried to make it the same way she does. So the food has its roots in tradition. We make our own cheese and sausages. A few pastas on the menu are also handmade."

We tasted a range of appetizers and pastas. The Salmon & Cappero Bacca was meticulously prepared with giant capers wrapped with smoked salmon and served with a yogurt dip. The Crostini Della Nonna were tasty tidbits with various toppings. We tried a handmade pasta, the Tagliolini Porcini, a thin pasta with porcini mushrooms, cream, garlic, parsley and Parmesan cheese.

It was our favourite and Chef Max was kind enough to point out that it was the original flavour of the Tuscany sauce. The Penne Calabrese had garlic, olive oil and red chilli tossed in a tomato sauce. Quite a mouthful.

We found the Mediterranean skewers very enjoyable too. The food is cooked over the heat rather than in it, like a tandoor, so while the temperature is right for the food to get cooked in, it doesn't sear the food. The Roasted French Scallops topped with foie gras and served with porcini mushrooms were a delight.

We had a lot more than that, talking to Chef Max about food, its effects and the rules that go along with eating it. "Pasta should never be served without parmesan cheese. It is like having biryani without curd," he says. When we were on the verge of a collapse brought about by the extensive meal, the main courses were substituted by the dessert tray. Apple tarts, Brazilian chocolate and Tiramisu seduced us. Full marks for the Tiramisu. Made with homemade mascarpone cheese, it melted in our mouth.

With a delectable lunch behind us, we refused Chef Max's offer of an espresso. We had enjoyed ourselves to the Max.