Sunny Dua
sunnydua55@gmail.com
A beginning that says everything
You may have read countless restaurant reviews – some poetic, some technical, others obsessed with plating and price points. Pages filled with descriptions of décor, plates photographed from perfect angles, menus decoded into adjectives, ratings neatly wrapped at the end. But this one begins even before you step inside. At the entrance of Oli – Café and Bistro at Udhampur, there are two thoughtfully built kennels for stray animals. Not hidden away, not symbolic, but living and breathing with quiet dignity.
A couple of street dogs are almost always seen there – stretching lazily in the winter sun during the day and resting safely through the cold nights. No shooing away. No indifference. Just quiet compassion. And in that single sight lies the heart and soul of the place and its owner. Welcome to Oli, Udhampur – Café and Bistro, a canvas of modern elegance where flavours are woven into an exquisite tapestry of fine dining, and kindness is as integral as cuisine.
That compassion here is not a marketing word but a lived value. And when a restaurant begins with empathy, you somehow know that what follows on the plate will be equally honest. This small yet powerful gesture reflects the soul of the man behind Oli – Sohail Sharma – and defines the spirit of the café long before the first order is placed.
A space designed to make you stay
Oli Udhampur is a canvas of modern elegance, where ambience and comfort speak in the same language. The black-and-white checkered flooring, softened by greenery, instantly pleases the eye. The restaurant is well ventilated, brightly yet warmly illuminated, and accompanied by good music that never intrudes but always enhances the mood.
The layout unfolds beautifully – one main dining area, an extended seating section for those who like a little more privacy, and a tastefully designed terrace accessed through a comfortable staircase. With 88 seats spread across three areas, Oli never feels crowded, even when full. Parking may not be abundant, but it is manageable and quickly forgotten once you step inside.
The ambience has done something rare – people now drive from Jammu and other distant places just to spend time here. Army personnel, civilians, officials from the administration – everyone finds a place at Oli and have reasons to celebrate the space. Private events have been hosted, the rooftop has seen celebrations, and on one occasion, armed forces officials booked the entire restaurant. The space adapts effortlessly, without losing its warmth.
From a foodie’s instinct to a culinary landmark
Oli opened its doors on January 21, 2024, but its journey began much earlier in 2023 when Sohail Sharma decided to reimagine a space that earlier housed other eateries. A self-confessed foodie, Sohail’s path has been shaped by instinct and experience. After starting and selling an industry venture in 2014, he went on to establish Grill In and later a Khao Gali in Udhampur. Those experiences – machinery, kitchen planning, crockery, people – became the foundation for something more refined.
A casual remark that Udhampur lacked a truly good eatery stayed with him. One opportunity led to another, and soon Grill In and Khao Gali were closed to make way for Oli. The interiors, designed by his wife Ankita with the help of an interior designer, give the restaurant its understated elegance and personal warmth.
Today, Sohail personally oversees operations, travelling regularly to ensure standards are met. With 50-100 diners daily and around 25 takeaways, Oli has found steady love. Guests come from Katra, Jammu, Udhampur, Ramban, Reasi, and even far-off places like Chennai and Ramnagar. There are no hurried expansion plans – only a desire to stabilise and nurture what has already been built with care.
Food that feels like a hug
The kitchen at Oli is where passion quietly turns into performance. Led by Chef Ravinder from Guwahati and managed seamlessly by GM Vipin from Doda, the restaurant serves pure Jhatka meat and specialises in Indian, Chinese, Continental, Pan Asian and Mediterranean cuisines, along with an in-house bakery, tandoor offerings and handcrafted breads. Raw materials are sourced from Jammu, Delhi and Udhampur, ensuring freshness and consistency.
The food arrives not as dishes but as experiences. The grazing tables are gorgeous, filled with freshness, flavour and love. The mutton galouti kebab is tender and aromatic, the Do Ranga kebab balances two marinades in perfect harmony, and the BBQ Sriracha fried chicken bao is indulgent and addictive. Vegetarian offerings shine equally-the cottage cheese steak, delicately seared and plated with finesse, proves that vegetarian food here is reimagined, not compromised.
From Lal Maas, Pad Thai and Thai Red Curry to pizzas baked to perfection, burgers served hot, jhol momos, prawns’ tempura and kurkure mushrooms – every plate feels intentional. Even salads and soups warm the soul, not just the stomach. Pizzas and burgers deserve a special mention-served hot, baked to perfection, and crafted with attention rather than shortcuts.
Vegetarian food here isn’t an afterthought. The Cottage Cheese Steak, delicately seared, plated with finesse, is an all-time favourite – a reminder that vegetarian classics can indeed be reimagined. Even a simple Greek Salad feels fresh and thoughtful. No meal at Oli is complete without surrendering to dessert. Each dessert feels like a soft landing after a flavour-packed journey.
Oli’s mocktails breathe freshness not overly sweet, not artificial. They feel like moments of calm in a glass. The Café Frappe stands out – cool, creamy, and comforting. The aroma of fresh coffee has a way of slowing you down here. It encourages you to linger, to talk a little more, to sip instead of rush. And then there is Kahwa – warm, fragrant, and grounding. The perfect closing note to a meal that has already given you more than you expected.
When time slows down
Desserts at Oli are not an afterthought; they are a gentle reward. Waffles with banana and caramel, Golden Biscoff cheesecake, and tiramisu bring sweet comfort, while mocktails feel like moments of calm captured in a glass. The aroma of fresh coffee slows you down, and a warm cup of Kahwa feels like the perfect closing note.
And that is perhaps Oli’s greatest achievement-it makes you forget about time. The ambience glues you to your seat, conversations stretch effortlessly, and the food is so inviting that you keep ordering more. By the time you leave, you realise you weren’t just dining; you were belonging.
Oli Udhampur is not merely a café or a bistro. It is a place where compassion greets you at the door, where flavours comfort you like old friends, and where every visit feels less like an outing and more like coming home. The dishes are so mouthwatering that you don’t stop ordering more. And somewhere between the last sip of coffee and the final bite of dessert, you know you’ll be back. Because places like Oli don’t just feed your stomach-they warm your soul.
The post “Where compassion meets cuisine” Oli – Café and Bistro that feeds soul before stomach appeared first on Daily Excelsior.