Ritu Dalmia facts for kids

Ritu Dalmia was born in 1973. She is a famous Indian chef and restaurant owner. She is known for her amazing Italian food. Ritu is the chef and co-owner of a very popular Italian restaurant called Diva in Delhi. She started Diva in 2000 with her partner Gita Bhalla. They also own other restaurants like 'Latitude 28' and 'Cafe Diva'.

Ritu Dalmia also hosted a cooking show on TV called 'Italian Khana'. It was on NDTV Good Times for three seasons. She even wrote a cookbook with the same name in 2009. Later, she started hosting another show called Travelling Diva in 2012.

Ritu Dalmia's Journey as a Chef

Ritu Dalmia was born in Kolkata, India. Her family was in the marble business. When she was 16, she started working with her family. This job took her to Italy. There, she fell in love with Italian food. She started learning all about it.

Starting Her First Restaurant

In 1993, when Ritu was 22, she opened her first restaurant. It was called 'MezzaLuna' in Hauz Khas Village, Delhi. This restaurant focused on Mediterranean food with an Italian touch. But it didn't do very well. She sold it after three years.

Success in London and Return to India

After 'MezzaLuna', Ritu moved to London in 1996. She opened an Indian fine dining restaurant there. She worked with a partner named Andy Verma. This restaurant was a big hit! It received many good reviews. However, Ritu missed Delhi. She decided to sell her share of the restaurant to Andy.

In 2000, Ritu returned to Delhi. She teamed up with Gita Bhalla again. They opened 'Diva' Italian restaurant in Greater Kailash II. This restaurant is still very popular in Delhi today.

More Restaurants and Catering

Ritu Dalmia runs several other places too. She has a café at the Italian Cultural Centre in Chanakyapuri, Delhi. There's also 'Diva Café' in Greater Kailash I. You can find 'Latitude 28' at the Alliance Francaise, Delhi. She also has 'DIVA Piccola' in Hauz Khas village. Besides restaurants, Ritu also started a catering business.

TV Shows and Cookbooks

In 2007, Ritu began hosting her TV show, "Italian Khana." It was on NDTV Good Times. The show was very popular and won many awards. She released a cookbook with the same name in 2009. The show ran for three seasons. She also worked as a consulting chef for Divattra. This is a spa restaurant at the Ashok Hotel in Delhi.

In December 2011, the Government of Italy honored Ritu. They gave her the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity. This is a special award for people who promote Italian culture.

In 2012, Ritu published another book. It was called Travelling Diva: Recipes from around the World. This book shared her favorite recipes. It included dishes from Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

Books by Ritu Dalmia

• Italian Khana. Random House, India, 2009.
• Italian Khana: Dinner Party. Random House, India.
• Italian Khana: Desserts. Random House, India.
• Italian Khana: Vegetarian. Random House, India.
• Travelling Diva: Recipes from around the World, Hachette India 2012.
• DIVA Green, Hachette India 2014.