This 45 Seater in Hyderabad Is Serving Up Cantonese With Character

Located in the heart of Hyderabad’s Jubilee Hills, it’s clear that Lili’s isn’t competing with the city’s larger, louder dining rooms. Instead, he chooses to slow things down. With just 45 seats and a reservation-driven format, from the moment you step inside it feels like a tastefully and thoughtfully designed space, as if you’re stepping into the world someone has carefully imagined.

For co-founder Naveen Krishna, the idea started with travel. “We all travel a lot and try different types of restaurants. We always wanted to create a friendly, comfortable dining environment,” he says. In a city where scale often defines success, Lili takes a different path. “Instead of going to big venues, we wanted to give the best product with experience. The experience is much better in a smaller space. You serve fewer people, but you can focus more.”

This decision comes with its own limitations. With a two-hour dining window and four shuttle rounds per day, the restaurant serves approximately 180 guests. But demand has been constant. “People love the food and the place,” he says.

What sets Lili apart from others is how deeply the narrative runs. Designed by artist Siddharth Kerkar, the space feels like a living canvas layered with references that quietly reveal themselves. There are ceramic pieces, tea-inspired motifs, and even a representation of a Chinese traveler traveling through India. “Everything you see here is focused on contemporary art. We wanted the space to reflect our love for Cantonese food and Chinese culture,” says Naveen.

This love also extends to the menu, which leans towards Cantonese flavors but is not limited to tradition. “We wanted to make an elevated Cantonese dish. Keep the flavors original but present them in a way that suits our taste,” he adds. The name itself carries meaning. “Li Li, not Lili. In Chinese culture, Li is a name used for both men and women. It represents strength, power and endurance,” says the co-founder.

In the kitchen, Brand Chef Chef Tarun Bhatia builds on this philosophy with a menu that balances memory and experimentation. “We started with the idea that there was no good quality Asian food on the market,” he says. Initially the approach was more classical, but as the field came together the direction evolved. “When we saw the design elements, we realized the food needed to have a more fun, contemporary feel, too. That’s when we moved towards a more evolved Cantonese approach.”

The challenge, according to him, was to understand the local palate without losing the essence of the cuisine. “In Hyderabad, people like spice and sour notes. I have worked on these preferences, but my dishes are always based on balance,” he explains. The menu reflects this interaction, rooted in Chinese flavors but shaped by global influences from their experiences in kitchens.

Some dishes quickly found their followers. “Our mala lamb is one of the most popular. It’s a 36-hour process and comes together as a small dish with a lot of depth,” he says. Dim sums, especially the lamb and bacon varieties, are also among the most ordered. At the same time, the menu also includes vegetarian dishes with equal attention, from truffle preparations to nostalgic hakka noodle bowls.

Behind the bar, mixologist Gaurav Dhyani, the 2018 World Class India Winner, approaches cocktails with a similar sense of balance. Having spent time observing the city’s drinking habits, he sees Hyderabad as a growing market. “Cocktail culture is still evolving here. You can’t get too complex all at once. You have to build it step by step,” he says.

Its menu reflects this idea. “We keep the cocktails simple to understand, but there is always a layer of complexity in the flavor,” he explains. Most drinks are pre-batched for speed without sacrificing taste. “No cocktail should take more than a few minutes to reach the table,” he says.

There is also a distinct emphasis on storytelling. Each drink carries a standout element, whether it’s an unexpected ingredient or a subtle nod to Asian flavors. “There must be something that makes you curious,” he says. A cocktail like the White Season, consisting of apricots, cherries, plain tomatoes, and white chocolate soda, often surprises guests. “People find it unusual on paper, but once they try it they either want it again or they want to add some soul.”

That sense of curiosity continues throughout the menu. From highballs for warm evenings to cocktails laced with umami notes, the bar complements the meal without overdoing it. It fits into the larger rhythm of the field, where nothing is rushed but everything proceeds carefully.

At its core, Lili is about how a dining experience feels rather than how great it is. “A successful experience is when guests leave happy,” Naveen says simply. The team plans to continue evolving the menu with seasonal changes, drawing on the extensive food bank developed over months of experimentation.

Lili is the kind of place that invites you to sit, pay attention, and let the details slowly emerge, whether on the plate, the glass, or the walls around you.