Japanese Pancakes Meet Mediterranean Martinis: Inside Olive Group’s New Global Dining Concept ‘The Hood’ in Bengaluru

YUGCHARAN | 18/02/2026

Bengaluru’s ever-evolving food and beverage landscape has added another ambitious address with the launch of The Hood, the latest restaurant from the Olive Group, located on Wood Street in the city’s central business district. Conceived as a global neighbourhood-inspired dining space, The Hood seeks to blend culinary traditions from different parts of the world while retaining an approachable, contemporary sensibility suited to Bengaluru’s cosmopolitan palate.

The opening of The Hood also marks a significant moment for the Olive Group, as it replaces Toast & Tonic, a popular cocktail destination that operated at the same location before shutting its doors last year. Rather than attempting a revival of the earlier concept, the group has chosen to reimagine the space entirely, signalling a shift in both vision and scale.

A Concept Rooted in Global Neighbourhoods

At the heart of The Hood lies a simple but expansive idea: celebrating distinctive neighbourhoods from across the world through food, drinks, and ambience. According to AD Singh, Managing Director and Founder of the Olive Group, the restaurant draws inspiration from localities that are deeply tied to cultural memory, everyday life, and culinary identity.

Singh explained that while Toast & Tonic was built around the ethos of New York’s East Village, the new concept looks outward, aiming to traverse multiple geographies under one roof. The Hood, he noted, is designed to remain dynamic, with the flexibility to introduce new neighbourhoods periodically. This evolving framework is intended to keep the restaurant relevant and engaging in a city where dining trends shift rapidly.

Bengaluru as a Launchpad for Culinary Experimentation

The choice of Bengaluru as the home for this global concept is deliberate. Over the past two decades, the city has transformed into one of India’s most experimental food markets, driven by a young demographic, rising disposable incomes, and a willingness to explore international cuisines. Singh reflected on the contrast between the present and the early years of his career, recalling a time when the city’s dining options were largely limited to traditional eateries and a handful of standalone restaurants.

Today, Bengaluru is widely regarded as food-forward, with diners seeking not just novelty but also depth, authenticity, and quality. In this environment, The Hood positions itself as a response to evolving expectations, offering familiarity without predictability.

Three Neighbourhoods, One Menu

The Hood’s opening menu is structured around three iconic neighbourhoods: Gion in Kyoto, San Lorenzo, and Mar Mikhael. Each section reflects the culinary character of its respective locale, interpreted through a modern, restaurant-friendly lens.

The culinary direction has been led by Dhruv Oberoi, who described the menu as intentionally focused and accessible. Rather than attempting exhaustive representations of each cuisine, the team has curated dishes that capture essential flavours and textures while remaining suitable for a diverse audience.

Japanese Precision and Subtlety

From Gion, the menu features a selection of Japanese-inspired dishes that emphasise balance and restraint. Options include gyoza, grilled pork belly, rolled omelettes, and kushi yaki-style chicken wings. Among the highlights is the ebi furai, a dish of fried shrimp dusted with togarashi, offering crispness without overwhelming spice.

Japanese desserts, including matcha-based creations, complete this section, reinforcing the idea that each neighbourhood extends from savoury courses to sweets.

Italian Comfort with Contemporary Touches

The San Lorenzo segment leans into Italy’s reputation for comfort and craft. Handmade pastas such as gnocchi, pici, and pappardelle anchor the menu, accompanied by focaccias and seafood-forward small plates like soft-shell crab and anchovy fritters. The emphasis here is on texture and simplicity, with ingredients allowed to speak for themselves.

Desserts in this section include an amaretto cake, designed to provide a familiar conclusion to the Italian dining experience without excess.

Lebanese Boldness and Warmth

Mar Mikhael’s influence introduces robust flavours and communal sensibilities. The Lebanese-inspired offerings include kataifi rolls, duck kebabs, bone marrow served on kubboos, baba ganoush, and tahini halva. These dishes reflect the neighbourhood’s reputation as a lively social hub, where food is meant to be shared and savoured slowly.

According to the kitchen team, this section has resonated strongly with diners who appreciate layered flavours and a balance between richness and freshness.

Cocktails That Travel the World

While food remains central, The Hood’s beverage programme plays an equally important role. The cocktail menu mirrors the global ethos of the kitchen, featuring drinks that draw inspiration from diverse regions. Notable creations include “Midnight at an Osaka Pickle Bar,” combining gin with pickled pear notes, and “Tuscan Tomato Fields Forever,” a mezcal-based cocktail accented with sun-dried tomato.

These drinks are crafted to complement the food rather than dominate it, aligning with the restaurant’s broader philosophy of cohesion across courses.

An Interior That Reflects Movement

The design of The Hood supports its narrative of travel and neighbourhoods. The space has been reworked to feel open yet intimate, with visual cues that subtly reference different cultures without resorting to overt theming. The intention, according to the management, is to create an environment that feels international but not alienating.

This approach allows diners to move seamlessly from one culinary region to another without a sense of disjunction.

Looking Ahead: More Neighbourhoods to Come

One of the defining features of The Hood is its promise of evolution. Oberoi indicated that new neighbourhoods will be introduced in the coming months, potentially drawing from France, India, or other parts of the world. This rotational model is designed to keep the menu fresh and encourage repeat visits, while also allowing the kitchen team to explore new ideas within a structured framework.

For the Olive Group, this strategy reflects a broader understanding of contemporary dining, where adaptability is as important as consistency.

The Olive Group’s Journey

The Hood also stands as a marker in the Olive Group’s 25-year journey in India’s hospitality sector. From early ventures that helped redefine casual dining to a portfolio that spans multiple cities and concepts, the group has consistently positioned itself at the intersection of innovation and experience.

Singh described The Hood not as a departure from the group’s philosophy, but as its natural progression, shaped by changing consumer expectations and a more globally connected audience.

Conclusion

With The Hood, the Olive Group has introduced a restaurant that seeks to reflect Bengaluru’s global outlook while grounding itself in carefully curated culinary narratives. By focusing on neighbourhoods rather than nations, the concept offers a nuanced take on international dining—one that values context, adaptability, and authenticity.

As the city’s dining scene continues to mature, The Hood enters the conversation not merely as a new address, but as a living concept designed to grow, shift, and respond to the tastes of its audience.