Gymkhana, London
The tandoori lamb chops at Gymkhana are the best thing I’ve ever eaten. I’m saying that upfront so there’s no confusion. This was the most blowout meal I have ever had - one of our closest friends turning 40 and the rest of us treating her. The kind of evening where you say yes to everything and don’t think too hard about the bill until much later.
Getting a reservation took effort. Weeks of trying at the crack of dawn, refreshing like I was buying tickets for Glastonbury Festival. But Gymkhana is worth it, this is one of those places you do need to go to at least once. I am not often impressed by Michelin dining places, especially predictable European fine dining. But for this North Indian restaurant the two Michelin stars feels justified.
We arrived early and were sent next door to 42 Cocktail Lounge, which turned out to be a great start to the evening. It’s a dark, plush and beautifully decorated bar.
We ordered a lot, and somewhere along the way I stopped keeping track (and taking photos), but a few dishes really stood out.
The kid goat methi keema is unhinged. It is so good, so soft it is unfathomable. The lasooni tiger prawns had that perfect char on the outside while still being juicy inside.
We’d been told to order the chicken butter masala, and I wasn’t convinced. As a point of pride (or arrogance), I usually go for something much spicier - my standard order is a Naga lamb, extra hot. But this completely won me over. It’s rich, balanced and just very, very good. We were scraping the dish clean by the end. It’s a must.
There were plenty of other dishes that came and went as the champagne kept flowing, all good, but, honestly, everything fades slightly next to the lamb chops. They are expensive. Almost offensively so. But there were four of us, which helped justify it slightly. Also, we’d had a few drinks by that point.
I’ve never had lamb like it. So soft it barely holds together, deeply flavoured and perfectly cooked. I do not how they cook it to have that texture. I will think about those lamb chops on my deathbed and I will come back on my 40th for the lamp chops again.
