Harden's survey result
Summary
“Having been to Jamavar in Bangalore, I tried their London restaurant and was most impressed” – Leela Palace’s “plush”, colonial-style yearling (“I’m not sure the decor is very PC!”) is “a great addition to Mayfair” and wins ecstatic praise from many reporters for its “super slick service” and “fabulous and spicy” dishes that “strike a balance between the traditional spicing and flavours of Indian cuisine, but with high-end presentation and gastronomic flourishes!” No hiding, however, that it was a blow when they lost founding chef Rohit Ghai in January 2018, with ratings in this year’s survey at laudable levels, but miles away from the giddy heights achieved in year one.
Summary
Leela Palace’s “stunning” newcomer in Mayfair’s most fashionable restaurant row has immediately established itself as “the best Indian restaurant in town, indeed it’s amongst the best restaurants of any cuisine”. Ex Gymkhana chef, Rohit Ghai’s “expert” and “exquisite” dishes are “genuinely top class” (while “still remaining properly authentic to the flavours you might find in New Delhi or Mumbai”) and the interior (modelled, apparently, on the Viceroy’s House of New Delhi) is a picture of “elegance and sophistication”. STOP PRESS: In December 2017 a sequel, Dabbawala is to open at 29 Maddox Street (formerly Hibiscus, RIP).
Summary
‘Jewel in the crown’ of the Leela Palaces Indian hotel chain, Jamavar London will open in November 2016, under executive chef Rohit Ghai (Gymkhana, Benares).
Owner's description
Jamavar was first conceived in the late nineties by Dinesh Nair, co-chairman and managing director of The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts.
Responding to a close friend’s lament, that diners could not get a fine north Indian dining experience when living in the South, Nair decided to give his friends the real deal. He brought master chefs from New Delhi, the capital city, to oversee the North Indian cuisine, and from Chennai, located on the coast of the Bay of Bengal, to look after the South Indian menu. Secret recipes of his mother Leela, after whom the luxury hospitality chain is named, were included in the menu.
Jamavar opened in 2001 at The Leela Palace Bengaluru to rave reviews. Garnering almost as many accolades for its lavish design as for its menu, it was named among the World’s Top 10 Power Dining Spots by Forbes USA. Over the next few years, it expanded to other internationally acclaimed Leela properties in New Delhi, Chennai, Goa and Mumbai.
Inspired by his travels and love for food, Nair went on to successfully bring iconic international restaurant concepts to The Leela, including the first Asian outposts of legendary New York restaurants Le Cirque and MEGU. Jamavar London, however, is his first foray overseas. He, along with his daughter Samyukta Nair, will play an integral role in driving the latest addition to the portfolio towards excellence in every aspect.
Jamavar London will showcase a wide array of flavours from across India. On the menu are dishes from the Royal Kitchens of the North along with succulent options from the shores of the South. The kitchen team is led by Executive Chef Rohit Ghai who is of revered culinary pedigree having lead several Indian Michelin starred kitchens, including most recently Gymkhana, Trishna and prior to that, Benares. The menu tasting plates are inspired by his travels to India, and the signature Jamavar dishes, are based on his deep dive into the culinary wealth of The Leela, with its Corporate Chefs de Cuisine.
Jamavar London is the culinary jewel of The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts. It is the sixth restaurant within its family and the first outside the majestic sub-continent.
Jamavar Restaurant Diner Reviews
"A good attempt at elevating indian cuisine to the next level, but it missed the mark on the attentive service required to emulate the best fine dining experiences that by its prices it is obviously trying to emulate. A fun evening out but will need to do better to match Indian Accent for instance."
"stunning food, stunning restaurant."
"Perhaps the loss of Rohit Ghai has had an impact this year. Our tasting menu was boldly flavoured, with moments of excellence, but overall it was underwhelming in relation to the super high expectations set in reviews, and there was a general feeling of disappointment in my group. Dishes generally seemed very familiar, and the meal fell into some usual traps of high end Indian, such as serving basically a full and fairly conventional curry after all the smaller dishes, which feels like a lack of nerve."
"My partner and I both found that whilst we enjoyed our mains - especially a beautifully soft and delicately spiced stone bass - both our starters were underwhelming: his lobster was buried in a bland sauce, whilst the delicate flavour of my beautifully cooked scallops was utterly overwhelmed by a powerfully over-hot chutney. Dessert was a pleasant, if bland, milk pudding. As for service, whilst our waiter was friendly and efficient, he disappeared halfway through our dinner and after that, we were left for long periods with no service at all and were reduced to waving across the restaurant to attract the attention of staff more concerned with winding up for the day, or serving Sarah Ferguson and her party.....The ground floor dining room is modishly attractive, but loud when busy. All in all, disappointing and not worth the three figure price tag."
"The food here was very good and the early evening menu brilliant value"
8 Mount Street, London, W1K 3NF
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Opening hours
| Monday | 12 pm-2:30 pm, 5:30 pm-10:30 pm |
| Tuesday | 12 pm-2:30 pm, 5:30 pm-10:30 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm-2:30 pm, 5:30 pm-10:30 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm-2:30 pm, 5:30 pm-10:30 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm-2:30 pm, 5:30 pm-10:30 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm-2:30 pm, 5:30 pm-10:30 pm |
| Sunday | CLOSED |
