Back in Business

Mehrauli was where Delhis beautiful people once descended. Fashionistas and air-kissing P3P shopped for a Tarun Tahiliani goddess drape and lived a Mediterranean night at a made-over sarai called Olive Bar and Kitchen.n

Mehrauli was where Delhis beautiful people once descended. Fashionistas and air-kissing P3P shopped for a Tarun Tahiliani goddess drape and lived a Mediterranean night at a made-over sarai called Olive Bar and Kitchen. That was Before Sealing. In December 2006,the MCD shut down the hotspots of the swish set,One Style Mile and Ambawatta Complex. Mehrauli turned again,after its all too brief stint at high life,into a deserted patch of medieval tombs. But now,with the Parliament passing early this year the NCT Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Act 2009,which allows commercial activities in urban villages until the end of 2009,they are ready for a glamorous second life.

AD Singhs Olive Bar and Kitchen and Pradeep Hiranis Kimaya will be among the first to reopen. The Act was notified on March 16. It has been a trying period for us and now we look forward to restarting in that area, says Sanjeev Batra,developer of One Style Mile that housed Olive Bar and Kitchen,Spa Zieta and the fashion store Kimaya.

Deep Mathur,director,press and infomation,MCD,says,All the cases of desealing are to be submitted to the monitoring committee appointed by the Supreme Court. If it allows then desealing can be allowed and the move is legal.

We are naturally very excited and are looking forward to bringing back one of Delhis landmarks, says AD Singh in a text message from London. The Sunday brunches and Flea by Night hosted by Olive Bar and Kitchen might just be back as well. The shutters came down on the whitewashed sarai barely a month after it had celebrated its third anniversary. Hirani was equally enthusiastic: We will definitely be reopening Kimaya at One Style Mile. Hopefully by August it should be up and running.

The Ambawatta Complex,a major stop for label shoppers,too will reopen. Close to Adham Khan’s tomb,the complex was home to fashion labels by designers Ritu Beri and Tahiliani and other brands like The Good Earth and Ashley. The top section was taken by Thai Wok,a Thai specialty diner with a terrace decked with lounge beds and overlooking the Qutab Minar. After the sealing drive,Thai Wok relocated to Punjabi Bagh in October 2007 for a short while. But a re-opening of this restaurant at Mehrauli seems unlikely. Says co-owner Payal Jauhar: The developer has not decided yet. The complex might just be given out as a corporate office. Also,my two partners have now ventured out into other businesses. Still,this seems like the beginning of Mehraulis second coming.

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Back in Business

Mehrauli was where Delhis beautiful people once descended. Fashionistas and air-kissing P3P shopped for a Tarun Tahiliani goddess drape and lived a Mediterranean night at a made-over sarai called Olive Bar and Kitchen.n

Mehrauli was where Delhis beautiful people once descended. Fashionistas and air-kissing P3P shopped for a Tarun Tahiliani goddess drape and lived a Mediterranean night at a made-over sarai called Olive Bar and Kitchen.n