If you read my recent post about the launch of Baan Phadthai, you might remember me ranting a little about how repetitive Hyderabad's local food scene has started to feel lately. Every new place seemed to echo the same predictable menu, without much real soul on the plate.
Well, prepare for a plot twist, because I'm officially eating my words — along with some of the best regional food I've had in a long time.
I was recently invited to an exclusive, invite-only preview tasting at Oota Hyderabad, and it completely restored my faith in what hyperlocal regional dining can be.
Who's Behind Oota?
Oota is run by Total Environment Hospitality — the same group behind Windmills Craftworks, the live-music microbrewery concept that became iconic in Bangalore. In Hyderabad, Oota actually shares its address with Windmills Craftworks Hyderabad in Madhapur, so you're getting two distinct dining personalities under one roof.
While Oota Bangalore celebrates Karnataka's food (oota means "meal" in Kannada), Oota Hyderabad was built from the ground up to champion the Telugu states. And the team didn't take that lightly — before opening, their culinary crew spent two years and travelled over 3,600 kilometres through the towns and villages of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, cooking through more than 500 dishes in local home kitchens to figure out exactly what deserved a seat at this table. That's the kind of homework that shows up on the plate.
The Tasting Menu: An Ode to Tradition
The kitchen curated a custom tasting menu for us, and every course felt like a tribute to the region's culinary legacy.
Starters
We kicked off with a refreshing Chinta Karivepaku Fizz — tamarind and curry leaf doing a brilliant double act, perfectly set up to wake up the palate for what was coming. The Marag was soul-soothing, served the proper way with fried onions, chopped coriander and lime on the side so you can build each spoon exactly how you like it.
The Shikampuri Kebabs were melt-in-the-mouth decadent, and a special shout-out to the Uggani — Telangana's beloved puffed-rice and sprouted-moong chaat — which felt like pure, nostalgic street-food comfort, elevated without losing its soul.
Mains
The transition into mains showed off the real depth of Telugu cuisine:
- Mudda Pappu with Pacchi Pulusu — a masterclass in comfort food. Simple, soulful, deeply satisfying.
- Haleem-e-Khaas — honestly, this one didn't work for us. Not a bad thing to have on the menu though — at least here you can get your haleem fix all year round, not just during Eid.
- Dum Ka Murgh — wonderfully smoky and aromatic.
- Zafrani Kacche Gosht Ki Biryani — an exceptional, fragrant finish to the savoury courses that did complete justice to Hyderabad's biryani heritage.
Funnily enough, the first bite took us straight back to Nizam Club's biryani — if you've had that one, you'll know exactly what I mean the moment it hits your plate. Familiar in the best way, even with Oota's own spin on it.
💡 Pro Tip
Don't skip the cocktail menu while you wait for the microbrewery license to come through — the regional-spice-forward drinks are doing a lot of the same storytelling as the food.
The Grand Finale
No royal feast is complete without traditional sweets. We were treated to a platter featuring Khubani Ka Meetha, rich Sheer Khurma, legendary Jauzi Halwa, and an exquisite curation called the Treasures of Godavari — a true celebration of timeless regional sweets.
The Verdict
Beyond the spectacular food, what truly impressed me was Oota's commitment to elevating hyperlocal cuisine into a sophisticated dining experience without compromising its authentic soul. The warm hospitality, the elegant interiors, the meticulous storytelling behind each dish, and flavours rooted deeply in tradition made this a genuinely memorable evening.
It's a beautiful ode to Telugu culinary heritage, right in the heart of Hyderabad. If you're looking for a place where heritage meets refinement, Oota Hyderabad deserves the top spot on your must-visit list.
A Reunion Spiced With Nostalgia
Adding a deeply personal touch to the evening was running into an old friend — Oota's General Manager, Akshay. For anyone who remembers the OG "Hyderabad Foodies" days, back when it was just a budding Facebook group, Akshay is a familiar and well-respected face.
Long-time food lovers in the city will fondly remember Pepperoncino, the Italian restaurant Akshay started years ago — a place far ahead of its time in this market, with no shortcuts, great ingredients, fair prices, and some of the best pasta, pizza, and tiramisu Hyderabad had seen. He later moved to Bangalore to run Windmills, a place that became genuinely iconic for its microbrewery and craft beers. Seeing him back on home turf, spearheading something as ambitious as Oota, felt like a full-circle moment.
On the beer front: Oota Hyderabad already has its regular liquor license sorted, so the local-inspired cocktails are flowing beautifully. The microbrewery license is still in the works — Akshay tells us it could land any day now, and if the Bangalore beers are anything to go by, Hyderabad is in for a treat.
📍 Find Them
Address: Commerzone Rd, Silpa Gram Craft Village, Madhapur, HITEC City, Hyderabad, Telangana 500032
Run by: Total Environment Hospitality (also behind Windmills Craftworks)
Cuisine: Hyperlocal Andhra and Telangana, fine-dining format
Must-try: Marag, Shikampuri Kebabs, Haleem-e-Khaas, Zafrani Kacche Gosht Ki Biryani
Would I go back? Already planning it.
*This was an invite-only preview tasting at Oota Hyderabad.