Gymkhana

Summary

It was this “top-tier” Mayfair Indian – opened in 2013 – that started to show London that the Sethi family of all-conquering JKS Restaurants fame were not a one-hit wonder (having founded Trishna five years before). “Inventive and exciting, whilst ticking all the boxes that make Indian ‘curry houses’ so appealing”, it inspires nothing but praise for its “consistently superb” culinary alchemy, which is served in a colonial-inspired wood-panelled interior decorated with prints and the odd stuffed animal head. If you follow Michelin’s recommendations however, the elevation of chef Sid Ahuja’s cuisine as London’s first Indian restaurant to receive a second Michelin star is a bit puzzling. Diners express views for and against in our annual diners’ poll, but most noticeably, despite its high ratings the destination doesn’t inspire many nominations as diners’ top meal of the year (as would be expected for such a luminary); there are other Indian restaurants in our poll that out-score it; and the contrast with the level of adulation received by A Wong (London’s first Chinese two star), is stark. Perhaps we are just so spoilt for Indian cuisine in London that we don’t always fully appreciate it? Top Menu Tips – “The muntjac biryani is fantastic”; “it is worth going for the lobster claw in scrambled duck egg alone”; and “the pork cheek vindaloo is a standout!”