[London] Gymkhana - 1* Contemporary Indian Cuisine

Rating: ❤❤❤❤1/2 (4.5/5)

London is well known for its excellent Indian food and besides our usual casual Indian hangout spot at Dishoom, we also checked out the more upscale Michelin-starred Gymkhana this time where we had the best Indian food ever! Inspired by Indian gymkhana clubs where members of high society socialize, dine and play sports, the restaurant looked classy with dark oak ceiling, red leather sofa booths and glass wall lamps. We came here for lunch where set course menus start from £25 but we decided to opt for a la carte for more flexibility. The food we had here were some of the finest Indian food we ever had with such delicate depth of flavors!

The Gymkhana has an extensive cocktails and drinks menu, but since it was day time, I refrained from alcohol and ordered my favorite Alphonso Mango Lassi (£4) instead. The lassi was thick and creamy with just the right amount of sweetness and acidity to accompany the food. 

We ordered the Dosa, Chettinad Duck, Coconut Chutney (£12) appetizer to share between us and it turned out to be a lovely surprise. The dosa was not crispy like the ones I had before but rather doughy like a pancake. The flavors of the chettinad duck were quite spicy and intense so the coconut chutney was a welcomed combination to balance the heat. 

For mains, we each ordered a curry to try - Saag Paneer (£17.50) and Chicken Butter Masala (£20) with an order of Bread Basket (£7.50) on the side. Both curries were impressive with layers of sophisticated flavors - even the naans were amazing as they were super crisp on one side and still chewy on the inside!

We were already full so we skipped desserts and had these Petit Fours to end the meal!

We were pretty impressed with the food at Gymkhana even though we only tasted a sample of what it has to offer - no wonder it was named Best National Restaurant in 2014! A fair bit of warning though - once you tried the food here, it may be hard to go back to less refined versions at your neighborhood Indian restaurants. 

Gymkhana

42 Albemarle St, Mayfair, London W1S 4JH, UK

Tel: +44 (0) 20 3011 5900

https://gymkhanalondon.com/



Follow me on Facebook! www.facebook.com/supertastermel

Follow me on Instagram! www.instagram.com/supertastermel