There was little in her lineage to suggest that Ritu Dalmia would go on to become the brilliant chef and restaurateur she is today. Yet, she stands as one of India’s most celebrated chefs, co-owner of eight restaurants in India, three in Milan, Italy, one in Dubai, UAE, and a catering vertical that serves destinations worldwide.
Her story could easily have taken a different turn. Born in then-Calcutta into a business family, Dalmia joined her family’s stone business at just 16. Her work frequently took her to Italy, where she developed a liking for the local cuisine and learned to cook it proficiently. In 1993, at the age of 21, she opened Mezza Luna, an Italian restaurant in Delhi. The food was excellent, but Mezza Luna’s fortunes weren’t. Undeterred, Dalmia moved to London, where she opened Vama, an Indian fine dining restaurant. The restaurant was a big success and won rave reviews.
However, Delhi beckoned. In 2000, she came home to open her first DIVA. Pioneered and driven by Chef Ritu Dalmia, DIVA celebrates authentic food by combining clean, simple, and fresh ingredients to create rich and unique dishes.
2021 finally took her to Mumbai, where she opened her restaurant, Motodo Pizzeria in BKC, with the Reliance family. Inspired by the charm of olde worlde Italian trattorias, the menu highlights regional dishes from across Italy.
From there, Dalmia never looked back. She went on to open multiple award-winning restaurants, with a team of over 300 professionals. With Cittamani in Milan and Atrangi in Dubai, her journey came full circle. Having introduced authentic Italian cuisine to India, she now brings the flavours of the Indian subcontinent to international audiences.
Chef Ritu Dalmia’s entrepreneurial spirit and contributions to the hospitality industry have been widely recognised, including Condé Nast Top 50 Restaurants of India, the Peaklife Gourmet Awards 2019, the DelWine Excellence Award 2019 as Women of Wonder (WOW), and Forbes’ W Power Trailblazers List in March 2017. In 2016, the Indian Federation of Culinary Associations honoured her as one of India’s 25 most influential chefs. In September 2017, she was awarded the Ordine della Stella d’Italia, one of Italy’s highest civilian honours.
Beyond her restaurants, Dalmia has hosted television shows such as Italian Khana and Travelling DIVA on NDTV Good Times and authored three cookbooks: Italian Khana, Travelling DIVA, and DIVA Green: A Vegetarian Cookbook.
In June 2016, Dalmia, along with four others, filed a petition in the Supreme Court of India challenging Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which criminalised same-sex relationships. In September 2018, the Supreme Court declared the law unconstitutional in a landmark judgment.
Today, Chef Ritu Dalmia stands as a role model and inspiration to many. Through resilience, vision, and relentless pursuit of excellence, she has earned her place as an industry stalwart and global culinary icon.
