1. T H E B R I E F L E T T E R F R O M L O N D O N
2 8 T H E P E A K T H E P E A K 2 9
KATIE
PISA
London-based journalist
who writes about travel,
food , entertainment,
business and health
IndianfoodhaslongbeenastapleofBritish
fare.Now,well-heeledLondonerscan’tseemto
getenoughofhigh-endIndiancuisine.Award-
winning,Michelin-starredIndianeateriesfrom
MayfairtoMarylebonearedisplacingtraditional
perceptionofcurriesascheapandcheerful.
It’s no secret that the city has attracted deep-
pocketed foreigners for years, with rich Russians
and millionaire Middle Easterners now being
more common in parts of London than posh
local ‘Sloane Rangers’ (named after the wealthy
Sloane Square in Chelsea) of days past.
Wealthy Indians now make up the biggest
proportion of overseas buyers in Mayfair,
last year snapping up more properties in the
exclusive area than any other nationality.
And the leafy Kensington Palace Gardens
– home to steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal – has
become one the world’s most expensive
streets by price per square metre, according to
research firm Wealth-X. As London’s wealth
has spun upwards over recent years, it’s no
surprise that the appetite for sophisticated
Indian food has increased.
THE PIONEERS
In2001,TamarindwasthefirstIndianrestaurant
toearnacovetedMichelinstar.Tuckedawayina
basementinMayfair,itsmanagersaysthatwhat
setsitapartfromitscompetitionisitsfocuson
traditionalnorthernIndianfare,ratherthana
modernisedorfusionmenu,likethoseofrivals
Gymkhana,BenaresandTrishna.
Gymkhana, which only opened in 2013, also
located in Mayfair, took first place at the UK’s
National Restaurant awards last year. It has
been lauded by critics, with Giles Coren of The
Times giving it his first ever ‘10 out of 10’ score.
The restaurant’s founder and co-owner,
Karam Sethi, seems unstoppable. The 31-year
old started his first restaurant, Trishna, which
specialises in southwest Indian cooking, in
London’s Marylebone Village in 2008. He was
awarded his first Michelin star there in 2012.
The Sethi family, through its family business
the Sethi Group (Karam is director of food
and concepts, his brother, Jyotin, is managing
director, and their sister, Sunaina, manages
wine buying and operations), has displayed
excellent panache. The business has backed
other successful restaurants, such as James
Knappett’s Kitchen Table and his hot dog and
champagne restaurant Bubbledogs. The group’s
other ventures include contemporary Indian
restaurant, Verandah, in Copenhagen.
INVITING VIBES
Gymkhana feels more like a private colonial
club than a public restaurant. The vibe is
laid-back and inviting. Wooden booths
are complemented by rattan ceiling fans,
lamps made with glass from Jaipur, family
photographs of polo matches and hunting
trophies from the Maharaja of Jodhpur.
The weekday lunch crowd includes
businessmen, families, tourists and others
in pursuit of Gymkhana’s delectable goat
curry dishes infused with fenugreek, tandoori
scallops with artichoke masala, achari roe
deer chops and tangy biryani made with
pomegranate and mint raita.
The restaurant has tasting and game
menus, as well as set lunches with suggested
wine pairings. Little medicinal bottles called
“punches” are filled with combinations of
alcohol, juice and champagne, while one cooling
lassi is made from absinthe with cucumber,
dill and yoghurt. “Pretty much everything on
Gymkhana’s menu is an original,” said one
satisfied customer at a recent lunch.
Since Gymkhana won the coveted
2014 UK Best Restaurant award, its phone
hasn’t stopped ringing, says one waiter. The
restaurant has set its maximum capacity of 90
diners, to help ensure service is top-notch and
nothing is overlooked.
Gymkhana has succeeded in marrying
tradition with modern perceptions of luxury.
As The Observer’s restaurant critic Jay Rayner
wrote last year, ever since Tamarind won
a Michelin star, “there has been a struggle
between the down-and-dirty of Britain’s high-
street curry house tradition and the smoothed-
off edges of the luxury version, born in the
five-star hotels of India. The food at Gymkhana
has bridged this gap.”
Around the corner from Gymkhana,
Benares, which serves modern Indian cuisine
with a contemporary British twist, is more
slick and sexy. Awarded a Michelin star in
2007, it has also become a go-to place for those
who want to impress business clients or dates.
“Ifyoustackthisagainstthelikesofthecurry
placesinTootingortheEastEnd,youcandineat
those[places]sixorseventimes,forthecostofone
dinneratBenares,”saysLondon-basedjournalist
and food enthusiast Linnie Rawlinson. “But the
subtlety and elegance of the high-end cooking is
definitely worth experiencing.”
SINCEGYMKHANAWONTHECOVETED
2014UKBESTRESTAURANTAWARD,
ITSPHONEHASN’TSTOPPEDRINGING
CLOCKWISE
FROMMAIN
The décor at
Gymkhana evokes
that of a private
colonial club;
Bhapa Doi, a
popular Bengali
dessert, served at
Benares;
Kid Goat Keema,
a dish made
from minced
goat infused with
fenugreek, is one
of Gymkhana’s
most popular.
COURTESYGYMKHANA/BENARES
From humble beginnings, Indian cuisine in the more well-heeled parts
of the city has evolved to reach new heights of sophistication.
CURRYING FAVOUR