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Harden's says
A major fire closed Gymkhana in June 2019 - it re-opened in February 2020, just weeks before lockdown.
Harden's survey result
Summary
“Still at the top of its game” – the Sethi’s “posh Indian” in Mayfair is “worth the hype” and remains the most-mentioned Indian in the survey on account of “memorable and beautifully flavourful” cuisine delivered by “warm and friendly staff” in an enveloping, old-colonial-style setting: “get a booth on the ground floor and prepare to be transported!” Top Menu Tip – “How I love the tandoori lamb chops. After a marinade in spices, these thick pieces of meat become so succulent, tender and taste-laden, are magnificently presented and really delicious on the eager palate!”. NB: Just as the survey closed, in June 2019, a fire gutted the restaurant and according to its website it remains “closed until further notice”.
Summary
“Still at the top of its game” – the Sethi’s “posh Indian” in Mayfair is “worth the hype” and remains the most-mentioned Indian in the survey on account of “memorable and beautifully flavourful” cuisine delivered by “warm and friendly staff” in an enveloping, old-colonial-style setting: “get a booth on the ground floor and prepare to be transported!” Top Menu Tip – “How I love the tandoori lamb chops. After a marinade in spices, these thick pieces of meat become so succulent, tender and taste-laden, are magnificently presented and really delicious on the eager palate!”. NB: Just as the survey closed, in June 2019, a fire gutted the restaurant and according to its website it remains “closed until further notice”.
Summary
“For high-end Indian cuisine, it’s still streets ahead” – the Sethi family’s epic Mayfair venture, near The Ritz, remains the survey’s most-mentioned Indian, marrying “sophisticated interior design” (on an “old-style, colonial” theme), with “superbly original”, “well-spiced and complex” cooking that’s “so much more interesting than the huge majority of its peers”. Service is “charming”, but can on occasion be “erratic” too.
Summary
“Absolutely the bee’s knees” – the Sethi family’s “classy” Mayfair five-year-old near the Ritz remains London’s best-known nouvelle Indian by dint of mixing “terrifically-spiced” cuisine (“whose refinement doesn’t detract from powerful punchy flavours”) and “heroic wine pairings”, with a good pinch of “old-colonial glamour” (“very in keeping with the India I grew up in”). There’s also a superb cocktail bar in the basement. Top Tip – “goat brains are a must try!”
For 30 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at Gymkhana?
Restaurant details
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £35.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £3.00 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Service | 12.50% |
42 Albemarle St, London, W1S 4JH
Opening hours
| Monday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5 pm‑10 pm |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5 pm‑10 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5 pm‑10 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5 pm‑10 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5 pm‑10 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5 pm‑10 pm |
| Sunday | CLOSED |
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