At The Leela Hyderabad, Adi serves 19-plus dishes of authentic Telugu flavours

Before your meal even begins at Adi, a bowl of vadiyalu arrives at the table — a quiet yet distinctive welcome. The plate, featuring tomato vadiyam and sesame vadiyam from the Godavari region, is their way of saying, “You’re home.” It is a thoughtful gesture, setting the tone for a meal that reinterprets tradition with understated elegance.

Located on the ninth floor of The Leela, Hyderabad, Adi is a 90-seater restaurant that glows in warm hues of gold and wood. Sunlight filters through its tall windows, catching the soft shimmer of the chandeliers above. The ambience strikes a balance between stately and serene, perfect for long family lunches or celebratory dinners. The kansa tableware, with its satisfying weight and vintage sheen, adds a nostalgic touch — the kind that instantly takes you back to your grandparents’ dining table.

Adi at The Leela Hyderabad serves veg and non-veg thali
| Photo Credit:
SIDDHANT THAKUR

Adi’s menu is a love letter to Telugu cuisine — expansive, unhurried, and rooted. It does not draw boundaries between Andhra and Telangana; instead, it celebrates both. Expect traditional dishes alongside pachhadis (fresh chutneys), podis (spice mixes), and pickles that bring heat and heart to the table.

The five-page menu features set thalis with celebratory names like Utsava (celebration), Mahotsava (grand celebration), and Hyderabadi because, of course, no menu in Hyderabad can skip biryani. Each thali, vegetarian or non-vegetarian, features between 19 and 26 dishes, including fruit and dessert. Eating with your hands is not just allowed here — it is encouraged.

Home away from home

At Adi, food is introduced. Each bowl is explained as it is placed before you — a gesture that transforms the meal into a gentle lesson in culture. If you are unfamiliar with Telugu dishes, the staff describe their origins and flavour profiles with quiet pride. Unlike most thali restaurants, Adi skips the puris and starts with jonna roti (sorghum flatbread) — hearty and wholesome, setting the tone for what follows.

In my thali, the flavoured rice was kothimeer annam (green coriander rice), while the desserts — coconut rava laddoo and chakra pongal — struck that delicate balance between sweetness and texture.

Inside Adi at The Leela, Hyderabad
| Photo Credit:
SIDDHANT THAKUR

The non-vegetarian thali offers a rich mix of chicken, mutton, and egg curries, alongside a tangy bowl of pachhi pulusu that is hard to resist. The starters — fish and chicken — are lightly spiced but full of flavour, bold enough to wake the palate without overpowering it.

One of the thali’s served at Adi, The Leela Hyderabad
| Photo Credit:
SIDDHANT THAKUR

There is also a non-vegetarian pulao that could easily hold its own as a main course — fragrant, layered, and deeply satisfying. If there is one thing to keep in mind, it is the sheer generosity of the meal. The thali is abundant. A skipped breakfast or pre-meal walk is advisable if you plan to do it justice.

The Utsavam thali is priced at ₹1,700 and the Mahotsavam at ₹2,500. Open for both lunch and dinner, Adi celebrates memory, tradition, and the quiet grandeur of Telugu food.