Gymkhana reopens in Mayfair

The Michelin-starred Indian restaurant rises from the ashes of a devastating 2019 fire, offering contemporary cuisine by executive chef Jitin Joshi.

On 6 June 2019, the Michelin-starred restaurant Gymkhana was engulfed by fire, devastating the Mayfair property. Now the restaurant – inspired by the elite gymkhana clubs of India, where members socialise, dine, drink and play sport – has risen from the ashes and reopens its doors to diners this week.

Samuel Hosker, design director for JKS Restaurants group, has conjured a luxurious interior mixing British and Indian design references. The ground-floor dining room fuses leather with cane-work seats inspired by Pierre Jeanneret’s classic Chandigarh chairs, while downstairs in the lower-ground-floor restaurant the mood switches to dark and decadent. Here, intimate lighting sets the tone for rich woods and red leather seating under a scarlet panelled ceiling, while original Gymkhana objets – from hunting trophies said to have come from the Maharaja of Jodhpur to lamps from Jaipur – are scattered throughout the spaces.

Executive chef Jitin Joshi heads the kitchen with cuisine highlighting tandoor-oven roasts and seasonal curries. His new à la carte menu includes dishes such as dosa (a type of crispy pancake) with Chettinad duck and coconut chutney (£12.50) and kid-goat methi keema (a spicy curry) served with salli (potato sticks) and pao (a type of bread), priced £13. Meanwhile, the five-course Venison Feast menu (£90; wine pairing is an additional £95) includes delights such as venison boti sula kebab, and there’s a “Hunters” alternative (£90; wine pairing £70) focusing on fare like game-bird baida roti (egg roll) served with gur (a type of cane sugar) and girolle (mushroom) pickle. Those popping in for lunch can expect two- and three-course menus, priced from £27.50.

New cocktails have been created to whet the appetite, including a Peach Blow Fizz (£14), blending green mango with Tanqueray gin, frozen yoghurt, egg white and soda, while the House Martini (£14) is a nod to the original dirty martini with an Indian twist – an olive-brine poppadom.

Chef Tom Booton takes the reins at the revitalised The Grill at The Dorchester

The youngest chef ever to take charge of The Grill at the grand Park Lane hotel conjures a contemporary dining experience.

Chef Tom Booton, only 26 years old, will take the helm at The Grill at The Dorchester when it relaunches on November 12 with a revitalised decor and menu creating a contemporary dining experience. He is the youngest chef ever to take charge at the restaurant.

Tom Booton, 26, is the youngest chef ever to take the reins at the restauran

Booton, the former head chef at Alyn Williams at the Westbury, has created a series of set menus. For lunch, expect dishes of brisket pie, sauce bordelaise and celeriac; or smoked sturgeon, parsley sauce and crisp parsley roots (two courses £23, or three courses £30). Dinner, meanwhile, will be a richer affair with a choice of four pre-starters, including scallop ceviche; starters such as glazed veal sweetbread, lentils, maitake and celeriac; and main course delights such as The Grill lobster thermidor tart or Herdwick rack of lamb, ratatouille and boulangère potatoes (£60 for three courses or £75 for four; £20 supplement for lobster). There is also a standalone menu for vegetarians.

A choice of four pre-starters at dinner will include scallop ceviche

The Grill beef Wellington for two

For the grand finale, diners can indulge at the interactive pudding bar, where its pastry chefs will tempt them with treats such as banoffee tart with roasted banana ice cream or the Double Decker – a dessert inspired by the chocolate bar, which was named after the London red buses that pass the 88-year-old hotel in Park Lane on a daily basis.

The pudding bar