Gymkhana - Mayfair, London

In 2012 Karam Sethi made waves in Marylebone by winning a Michelin-star at his breezy, flavoursome Indian eatery Trishna. For his second London venture, Gymkhana, he chose chic Albemarle Street to offer an experience inspired by the members' clubs of yore, with a distinctly Mayfair persona and exceptional tandoori cuisine. Now Mr Sethi, at a very tender age, looks poised to dominate London's restaurant scene, backing culinary wizards like Sandia Chang at Bubbledogs, James Knappet at Kitchen Table and James Lowe at Lyle's, with some future plans that look very promising indeed. But the fundaments on which his empire rests are indubitably Trishna and Gymkhana, two restaurants that demonstrate just how enlightened traditional Indian cuisine can be.

The darkly elegant restaurant spans two floors with oak booths, marble tables and dark lacquered oak ceiling fans performing lazy revolutions beneath a dark lacquered oak ceiling. At the end of the room reposes a marble bar from which an array of Indian-influenced cocktails are served; many of which include difficult to find whiskeys, arracks and absinthes from the continent. There's a large private dining room downstairs and more of an intimate, seductive atmosphere than you might find on the ground floor.

The menu doesn't marginalise the cuisine with contemporary accents, rather it is traditional Indian par excellence, using the finest British ingredients with a focus on provenance and seasonality. A starter of Keralan Moilee mussels with curry leaf was arresting in its quality, but the real showstopper, kid goat methi keema with the option of adding bheja, was not for the squeamish. Bheja translates to English as brain, and brought a whole new dimension of flavour to the spicy, earthy minced goat. The mains were equally delicious, especially the signature lamb nalli barra chop with pickled onion, turmeric and ginger as well as the achari wild roe deer with mooli pickle and roe deer keema naan.

Wine buffs are in for a treat as award-winning sommelier Sunaina Sethi has created a laudable list, and for those that prefer complementing a curry with beer, Gymkhana has two house brews. All in, this new gem is thoroughly recommendable. As you may know, Gymkhana is one of the most popular restaurants in London and we cannot always guarantee bookings at the restaurant.

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