Chutney Mary: Rishi Sunak's much-loved Indian diner that won 'Restaurant of the Year' title

In a piece of positive news from the United Kingdom, Chutney Mary, a popular Indian restaurant in London, has bagged the title of Restaurant of the Year at the annual AA Hospitality Awards.The win is massive because the AA Restaurant Guide not only celebrates the UK’s top restaurants, hotels, spas, and pubs, but is also at par with the French Michelin Guide.Notably, this also coincides with the AA Hospitality Award’s 30th outing with its 2024 edition.The 33-year-old restaurant located in central London, known to be among the favourites of British prime minister Rishi Sunak and a hangout for many celebrities, was conferred the award at a ceremony in London on Monday night.“This award is completely unexpected, but greatly appreciated by my fellow directors and the committed long-serving team at Chutney Mary,” said Camellia Panjabi, the Indian-origin Group Director of MW Eat, the UK-based hospitality company behind Chutney Mary and other popular Indian restaurants including Michelin-starred Veeraswamy and Amaya as well as four branches of Masala Zone.Also read: Why is Singapore inviting Indian chefs to work in the country?All about the restaurantChutney Mary was founded in 1990 on King’s Road in Chelsea by sisters Camellia and Namita Panjabi, as well as Namita’s husband Ranjit. It initially served an Anglo-Indian menu that “evoked the history of the Raj and had never really been seen in UK restaurants.”The restaurant became a popular destination in the city and is known for short menus dedicated to specific regions like a celebration of Goan coastal cuisine. Its menu offers contemporary yet creative Indian food, including delectable delicacies like Kathal Biryani and Lamb Kormas. The best of Indian cuisine is also reflected in their beverage menu, which includes well-known cocktails like Hot Toddy.After 25 years, the fine-dining restaurant in 2015 moved to St. James’s Street near London’s Ritz Hotel. Its glamorous interior design is reflective of the artistic traditions of different parts of India and the menu is designed around contemporary Indian cuisine.“Chutney Mary is one of London’s finest restaurants and a class act. It combines a wonderful stylish location and interiors, accomplished cooking, and delivering exceptional dishes with fantastic hospitality and service. Such a great restaurant, loved by so many, is so deserving to be our AA Restaurant of the Year for London,” said Simon Numphud, Managing Director of the AA Media Group.[caption id="attachment_13176272" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image Courtesy: Chutney Mary[/caption]Chutney Mary was recognised for its originality, regionality and innovation of its cuisine, alongside exceptional hospitality. It also stood out as the only Indian restaurant to be recognised with an award at this week’s ceremony, attended by over 1,000 representatives and celebrities from Britain's hospitality industry.The restaurant even earned “Best Indian Restaurant in the UK” in 1991.[caption id="attachment_13176282" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image Courtesy: Chutney Mary[/caption]Also read: Smells Fishy: What is ‘sushi terrorism’ that led to the arrest of 3 people in Japan?About the awardThe AA’s joint hotel and restaurant guides were established in the UK in 1967, with the Rosette awards dating back to 1956 as the first nationwide scheme of recognition of excellence of restaurants and hotels.Each year, winners are awarded in several categories as best in class following unannounced professional inspections and verified by the AA's Hospitality Awards Panel, with the results representing some of the UK’s finest dining experiences.With inputs from PTI