Gymkhana Restaurant Review

We visit Gymkhana, one of London’s best Indian restaurants.

Following the success of Trishna, a fine-dining Indian restaurant that won its first Michelin Star last year, restaurateur Karam Sethi has launched Gymkhana on Albemarle Street in Mayfair.

Gymkhana restaurant London

The restaurant is inspired by the Colonial Indian gymkhana clubs, and this is certainly reflected in the colonial style interiors of dark wood, marble, ceiling fans and black and white photographs of proud looking Indian businessmen from the time.

If you’re visiting Gymkhana for dinner, insist you sit downstairs where the clubby, subdued lighting really comes into play. Pick a booth and look out onto the bar sending out beautifully coloured cocktails from a creative list on ornate silver trays.

The private dining room at Gymkhana

The menu consists of bar snacks, Kebabs and Tikkas, Game and Chops, Curry and Biryani and Sabzi (side) dishes. The impressively large-scale menu allows for lots of ordering, and sharing is definitely the way to go here.

Highlights are plentiful, but particular stars are the Keralan Moilee Mussels served with Curry Leaf and Garlic Naan – so good we had to order a second naan to soak up the sauce.

The food at Gymkhana London

Lasooni Wild Tiger Prawns with a Red Pepper Chutney were astonishingly soft and juicy with a hint of fire, and the Lamb Nalli Barra, Pickeled Onion, Tumeric and Ginger (chops) were succulent, tangy, moorish and spiced to perfection.

While I highly recommend you visit Gymkhana for dinner, it’s also worth popping in to try the cocktails, including the excellent Ooty Town Gimlet (Old Raj gin with rose water and crystallised rose petals).

With a good wine list, warm and well rehearsed staff, and a menu that really suits those looking for traditional Indian food in a fine setting, Gymkhana is the restaurant you’ve been waiting for.

Gymkhana is also good for groups with two semi private dining rooms in the alcoves in the lower ground floor accommodating 10 and 14 people.

For real time restaurant reviews, follow me on Twitter at @BonVivantLiving or sign up to the Journal here.

Read some of our other Mayfair restaurant reviews including Simon Rogan’s Fera and 34 or read our guide to the best Indian restaurants in London.

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