Little Italy Reserve Plans Expansion Across 5–8 Cities by 2030

Founded in Pune in 1989, homegrown Italian restaurant brand Little Italy has introduced Little Italy Reserve, a new flagship concept in Shivajinagar that combines Italian-Mediterranean dining, café culture, cocktails and music under one roof.

The new format brings together the brand’s established Italian offering with a wider Mediterranean menu and a day-to-night dining experience designed to cater to changing consumer preferences.

Little Italy Reserve houses three distinct concepts: Little Italy’s Italian-Mediterranean restaurant, Tutto Bene, a speciality café and gelateria, and Lily, a cocktail bar that transitions into an evening social destination.

The property also features The Piazza, an open-air dining area designed for lunches, sundowners and intimate dinners.

“Little Italy has always been a family restaurant at heart, becoming part of birthdays, celebrations, first dates and everyday memories for generations. Reserve is about carrying that connection forward while creating an experience that reflects how people eat, meet and spend time together today,” said Raj Mehta, Founder, Little Italy Group.

The menu at Little Italy Reserve combines the brand’s established favourites with a wider selection of Mediterranean dishes influenced by Greece, Spain, France, Turkey and the Levant.

A new category of steamed handmade pasta features dishes such as Black Truffle Raviolo and Ricotta & Lemon Tortellini. Served in smaller portions, the offering places emphasis on pasta-making techniques while introducing a different approach to the traditional dining sequence.

Vegetarian cuisine continues to be a key part of the menu, with pizza, handmade pasta, risotto, breads, cheese, tomatoes and olive oil forming its core. Alessandro Comis, Executive Chef at Little Italy Reserve, leads the culinary programme, combining Italian cooking techniques with broader Mediterranean influences.

The Shivajinagar outlet will serve as a model for future Little Italy Reserve locations. The group plans to take the concept to five to eight additional cities by 2030, with Hyderabad and Jaipur among its next expansion markets.

“Reserve represents our evolution from a traditional restaurant proposition into a more integrated hospitality experience. By bringing dining, cocktails and café culture together, we are creating a format that responds to changing consumer lifestyles while building on Little Italy’s established strengths. Pune is the starting point for this next phase of growth,” said Amrut Mehta, Managing Director, Little Italy Group and Concept Lead for Little Italy Reserve and Lily.

Little Italy was established in Pune in 1989 and has since grown into a homegrown Italian restaurant chain operating more than 50 outlets across 18 cities and four countries.