For an Italian meal in Hyderabad that is not all saucy

Tiramisu with a view
| Photo Credit: Prabalika M Borah

In Nove, there is every chance of one going overboard with their bread basket and flavoured butter. No matter what level of weakness you have for bread, go slow to be able to enjoy at least the sorbet soda, the quinoa salad and the signature flatbread. The flatbread, baked antipasti, with just the adequate amount of spice dust served with cream cheese and two in-house secret dips are highly addictive. On the dips, no matter how well you know Suma Reddy who started Nove, she will not drop hints about what it is made of. So, do not bother probing. 

Pizza with pickled onions
| Photo Credit:
Prabalika M Borah

The restaurant is situated at the ground level of the CCI building in Banjara Hills. It is a combination of outdoor and indoor seating, reflecting the smart use of architecture. The simple interiors with warm lighting make it a cosy place.

Nove is already finding space on the agenda of food lovers who love checking out new places. Chomping mindlessly on the flatbread portions, I started to doubt if I will be able to go beyond it. Just then the salad was served, and I decided to go for a quinoa salad only because I wanted to assert my aversion for high-fibre grains. The red and white quinoa salad with avocado, pomegranate seeds, a drizzle of olive oil and a dash of lemon, served with seasoned cucumber slices surprised my opinion on salads without meat and an overload of dressing and quinoa. 

Sorbet Soda
| Photo Credit:
Prabalika M Borah

I did go overboard with ordering my food and realised I had a long way to go as I ordered meatballs, spinach ricotta ravioli, pasta and a pizza. I would recommend the spinach ricotta ravioli just for the delicateness of the ravioli.  

Thankfully I was sharing my food. The ravioli, pasta and meatballs are not dunked in a tomato gravy with a topping of cheese. This is why even though the meatballs were slightly salty for my taste, I quite liked them. 

Meat balls
| Photo Credit:
Prabalika M Borah

At Nove, everything is made in-house, including the meatballs, pasta and sauces. Which is why the pasta is delicate. The team at Nove did not want to be known ‘as just another restaurant serving Italian food.’ According to Suma “a pasta bowl shouldn’t be a bowl of tomato or white sauce gravy with some pasta in it. That is a very distorted way of serving pasta.”   

By the time I was done with the meatballs and ravioli I was so full that I had to make a second trip for dessert. On my second visit, I tried the spaghetti with minced chicken, a raspberry soda and tiramisu.   

baked flat break antipasti
| Photo Credit:
Prabalika M Borah

Nove is not a place for those who want to eat spicy Indianised Italian. Nove serves fish, prawns and meats except beef.