Today I want to share my Gymkhana restaurant in London review with you. This award-winning Indian restaurant in Mayfair is worth a special trip.
Gymkhana Restaurant in London Review
It’s not every year that an Indian restaurant wins Restaurant of the Year in the UK’s National Restaurant Awards. But Gymkhana restaurant was the first Indian restaurant to claim the prestigious title.
This week I have the opportunity to go there, and I can’t wait to see if Gymkhana restaurant lives up to the hype.
The Restaurant
But first I have to find it. The entrance to Gymkhana is so understated that I almost pass by as I walk down Albemarle Street.
Once inside, I realize why. The restaurant has a low-lit ambiance and enough dark wood and leather to make me feel like I’ve stumbled into a private members’ club.
The feeling is heightened as I’m escorted down endless flights of narrow stairs, through a maze of small dining rooms, and into a cellar-like private room with an arched ceiling and orbs of orange light filling the air with their incandescent glow.
Gymkhana Restaurant Food
Ensconced in a colonial-era atmosphere, I focus on the food. I’m a guest of the company that provides Gymkhana’s rice, and the menu focuses on the myriad ways rice can feature in Indian cuisine.
Starting with papads. The mini papadum crisps are served with classic mango and mint chutneys, as well as a shrimp-and-tomato one. The papads are light and crunchy, letting the intense flavors of the chutneys shine.
After them comes dal chawal dumplings, fried rice balls that remind me of Italian arancini. The pickle and yogurt gives them a distinctly Indian flavor, and they have just the right balance of crispy exterior and soft, melt-in-my-mouth interior.
The next dish at Gymkhana restaurant in London is soft-shell crab served on puffed rice. It’s a spicy one that has a nice mix of heat and crunch, although the diminutive crustacean has a bit more shell than substance.
It’s followed by tandoori lemon baby chicken, an incredibly tender piece of poultry served with spicy pressed rice and a delicious peanut chutney with a refreshing hint of lime.
The main event at Gymkhana is a wild muntjac biryani, served with much fanfare in pastry casing. The venison is as soft as butter, and mixes perfectly with the saffron rice.
A plethora of side dishes—from saag paneer to dal maharani and lots of naan—accompanies it.
Gymkhana Restaurant in London Review: The Verdict
By the time the food is cleared and the redolent rice kheer with cardamom and pistachios arrives for dessert, I’m sold on Gymkhana’s status as the best restaurant in the UK.
The food is excellent, and the ambiance transports me to a flavorful world far from London. I wouldn’t be surprised if Gymkhana wins the Restaurant of the Year award for many years to come.
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30 Comments on Lady’s Gymkhana Restaurant in London Review
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The food looks very good 🙂
It was!
Mmm, this place looks like a must try when next in London! Thank you for your review of it.
You’re welcome! I hope you like it as much as I did.
I..love…Indian…food! And I have yet to find a good place near me in SoCal that satisfies my cravings. Okay, now I’m missing London 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome! I never found much Indian food in San Francisco that compares to what we have in London, so I know what you mean.
This place looks amazing! Definitely put it on my ‘To do’ list. x
Great! I hope you like it!
Fooled me with the title there, I thought you were at a Motorsports event. I thought gymkhana is the name of an extreme motorsports thing where cars clear obstacles laced courses.
The food looks absolutely delicious though 🙂
Haha, nice. The food was great!
It sounds very unique and delicious!
Yeah!
I’ve been wanting to try it here for a while and I have to admit, your pictures do make it look amazing. I think I’ll have to make my reservation!
Cx
Yeah, it’s definitely worth a trip!
This recipes really look yummy!! I’ve tried Amira recently (basmati aromatic) I found it is a delicious rice.
Nice!
I’ve also heard lots of wonderful things about Amira rice and must say I was certainly not disappointed
That’s great!
Really really want to try out this place! I’ve heard raving reviews from everyone – love your photos! I’ll always maintain my Mum’s food is the best Indian food ever – not that I’m biased at all 🙂 but this would come a close second I’m sure!!
Yum! That’s great that your mother cooks good Indian food! I’m sure you would like Gymkhana, too.
I absolutely love Indian food, to have won restaurant of the year is incredible. Looks lovely.
Lauren
xx
Yeah, it’s great!
The soft shell crab calls and rice kheer look especially delicious to me! I’m lucky enough to live in the “Little India” section of the East San Francisco Bay, so we have lots of amazing restaurants around my house, but this looks above and beyond the typical Indian dishes!
Cat
That’s great that there are a lot of good Indian restaurants around where you live. I always felt like there was a lack of Indian places in San Francisco. I should have gone east!
Oh my the presentation looks mouth watering! I think I need to make more trips to London! 🙂
Yeah! It’s worth a trip!
This all sounds so delicious! Well, everything except for the soft-shell crab. I’ve never been able to get past the texture.
Yeah, it was a great meal!
This looks and sounds soooo delicious — now I’m craving Indian food!!!
Yeah, it was really good!