The Mayfair Indian shuttered after a summer fire has announced plans to reopen early next year.
Gymkhana, which retained its Michelin star this year despite the closure, will welcome guests from February, following refurbishment across two floors.
The upmarket spot on Albemarle Street hasn't traded since early June, when a blaze broke out on an afternoon; eight fire engines and 60 firefighters were needed to tackle the fire. Footage circulating on Twitter showed black smoke whirling into the sky, with the London Fire Brigade reporting that the ventilation system had been destroyed. No-one was injured.
Although JKS Restaurants, the group who operate the site, have renovated, it will look broadly the same as before – at least in the main dining room. The 47-cover ground floor and bar is being returned to its former look, which draws inspiration from the grand sports clubs of British-occupied India; it’s a room of dark wood and rattan, low light and leather.
The smaller basement dining room is set to be noticeably different from before, though, with the bar moved and the decor considerably brightened. The group say it will allow “a convivial club feel with a Kashmiri Chilli colour palette, bold carpeting and a collection of Indian art.” Kashmiri chillis are a vivid red.
Food will be unaffected, with the reopened restaurant to offer same high-end mix of chatpatta, curry, biryani and tandoori bites that have earned it critical acclaim since September 2013. Good news for its celebrity fans, too, which are said to include Ed Sheeran, Oprah Winfrey and Reese Witherspoon.
For more information, visit gymkhanalondon.com.
