Olive Bar & Kitchen: Where Bollywood eats (or starves itself to stay thin)

Owing arguably to the fact that Olive Bar & Kitchen has drawn little competition for its Mediterranean paella, pizzas and posh Pali Hill location, it's still the most stylish spot in Bandra.

Chalky all-white décor with azure accents, vines creeping up and down walls, pebbles under your feet (and shredding your shoes) and comfortable wicker furniture all give Olive the kind of picture-perfect setting that looks and feels casual, but not crummy. And that’s exactly why it works for Bandra.

And Bollywood. The stars and their entourages often occupy the restaurant's biggest tables at which, if you lean closely enough, you'll overhear them recounting the fanciful exploits of their trade. Of course, the crowd here is too cool to care -- unless the entire house gets booked for another film producer's 50th birthday bash, which is always a risk.

At its best -- Thursday night when the music is loudest -- Olive has been single-handedly multiplying Bandra’s glam factor for as long as we can remember. Evidently, that's still not enough for those still referring to it as "Olives."