Gymkhana
The clearest argument London has made that Indian fine dining is as serious as any other cuisine. The game dishes are the most interesting thing on any menu in Mayfair.
Gymkhana makes a case — without subtlety, and correctly — that Indian fine dining in London belongs at the same table as the city's French and Japanese rooms. Karam Sethi's restaurant on Albemarle Street takes the colonial-era gymkhana club as its design metaphor and the Indian culinary tradition as its starting point, not its blueprint. The game dishes — wild boar, venison, partridge — are the most interesting things on any Indian menu in the city, possibly in the country.
The room works, the service knows the food, and the wine list treats the cuisine as the equal of any other, which it is. Book ahead. Order the kid goat methi keema.
The game dishes are the signature and the reason to visit — they appear nowhere else at this level. The dal is the best version of a familiar thing. The breads are worth ordering more of than you think you need.
A beautiful Mayfair basement — dark woods, rattan, ceiling fans, a Raj-era club rendered with irreverence and intelligence. One of the most considered rooms in the city.
KID GOAT METHI KEEMA · PARTRIDGE OR VENISON (SEASONAL) · THE DAL · BREADS
Gymkhana is the Indian restaurant that proved the point. Go for the game dishes, stay for the dal, and understand why this is one of the most important kitchens in London.
Reserve well in advance — this room fills weeks out, especially on weekends.
Come hungry and order across the menu — the small plates and grills are made for sharing.