vatavaran restaurant

Vatavaran, Knightsbridge: Himalayan-inspired dining, drinks and décor

03 Feb 2025 | | By Annabel Harrison

On Beauchamp Place is a new addition to the central London Indian fine dining scene, helmed by a chef with a glittering CV; will it go the distance?

“There is something about the Himalayas not possessed by the Alps,” mused English mountaineer Frank Smythe, who discovered the region’s Valley of the Flowers in 1931 and attempted to climb the world’s highest peak three times. “Confronted by them, a man loses his grasp of ordinary things…” Now, it is true, I’ve certainly lost my grasp of an ordinary Friday night. It typically wouldn’t involve sitting beneath the cloud-wisped ‘sky’ ceiling at Vatavaran, nor being treated to a near-constant stream of delicious dishes that are much superior to what I’d have prepared for myself. Nor – at least not since the Noughties – would I be listening to Shaggy’s It Wasn’t Me nor Umbrella (two of the DJ’s songs of choice post 9pm. Although Dance Monkey, yes, much more 2025).

I’m dining at Vatavaran, which translates as ‘atmosphere’ in Sanskrit and is pronounced, as our lovely waiter Fletcher explained, ‘what-a-waran’. It opened in November so it’s still early days for this Beauchamp Place newcomer. The press release promises it will take me and my date – a wonderful friend, who commits to investigating the vegetarian/fish options while I plough through a decidedly meat-based feast – on ‘an immersive culinary journey inspired by the serene landscape of the Himalayas’. I’d wondered if this immersion would mean eating a different course on each of the restaurant’s four aesthetically distinct levels but no – I come to realise it means by way of the ingredients chosen (and that my ‘journey’ might, in fact, involve rather little travel because of my unswerving commitment to chilli-heavy dishes).

vatavaran restaurant

Before being welcomed into the colourful warmth of Vatavaran, on the coldest of London nights, when the orange mist of city lights is reflected back onto an ink-black sky, I decide there is zero point in any kind of abstinence (January though it is). Vatavaran, consider me fully on board. Bring me drinks, dazzle me with dishes, and – why not? – more drinks, more food. February should be the month of abstinence – it’s shorter. Today, I’m in.

We’re shown to our table on the second level, known as the Orangery with décor reflecting mountain ridges; it’s the next one up from the street level bar (and DJ booth) which symbolises valley streams through blue tones and floral details. The green-accented, forest-inspired first level and ‘summit’-themed top floor are home to a second dining area and the Shikar cocktail bar/lounge respectively.

Michelin-starred chef Rohit Ghai and business partner Abhi Sangwan joined forces again to open Vatavaran last autumn, after lauching Kutir in Chelsea in 2018 and Manthan (Mayfair, 2021). Benares, Trishna, Gymkhana… Ghai, from Punjab, has worked at them all and has the distinction of being the first Indian chef to have won a Michelin star within ten months of a restaurant opening (Jamavar). I loved the food at Benares and the standard was exceptional there, both in terms of taste and presentation. Vatavaran excels at the first and is quite a different offering, if you’re choosing between the two. Benares won back its Michelin star in 2021 and its tasting menu (£139) is almost twice the price of Vatavaran (£75), excellent value in this area, for such a calibre of food.

Waiter Fletcher is knowledgeable about the menu, which is peppered with rare and indigenous ingredients and his advice is more than sound. I’d have the appetite to hear even more, given the thought put into the whole concept, about the ingredients, the region and chef Ghai himself. We spot him, we think, in the open kitchen, calm and deep in thought, smoothing his hair – it appears ordered in there throughout, despite the multitude of dishes being prepared and winging their way to us. How can the indori chat – a mound of foamy yogurt, speckled with crispy onion and pomegranates – my friend asks, taste so good? “Because I didn’t expect it to be cold, but it really works.”

vatavaran restaurant

My own exploration of the Himalayas begins with a fiery prawn starter and continues in a heated fashion with an excellent Kashmiri-chilli lamb chop. My main and sides, by virtue of my choices it appears, given what I can see on other tables, are indistinguishable by colour but each with their own deep, distinct flavour. The kaali daal (a side of slow-cooked, butter-laced black lentils) is good enough to be a whole dish in its own right and, overall, portions are rich and generous; but please slow down a fraction between courses, chefs.

Pescatarians and vegetarians will be happy here, even though showcase dishes include a rotisserie masala chicken and lamb shank biryani. Magic is worked on salmon tikka by way of beetroot and the tangy native Indian fruit kokum, while the roasted baingan ka salan proves what can be done with aubergines when in the hands of a chef like Ghai.

Desserts are inventive, indulgent and moreish, if you have space, and the chocolate hazelnut pud is the most artfully presented dish I enjoy. We retire to the bar for a cocktail – excellent tequila, and intriguing ingredients like gulab jamun, saffron and cardamom whisky. The founders have installed a DJ for Friday to Sunday evenings and it’s quite fun, although the tables are made up with plates as if for a meal rather than a drink; perhaps the top floor lounge is where the drinking will soon chiefly take place.

“This concept is deeply personal to us,” says chef Ghai. “The Himalayas hold a profound cultural and spiritual significance, and we’ve worked tirelessly to translate that into a culinary experience that will transport our guests to this magical part of the world.” Vatavaran is on its way; up the intrigue, add some more detail to the ‘journey’ and I’m along for the ride.

14-15 Beauchamp Place, Knightsbridge, SW3 1NQ, vatavaran.co.uk  

Read more: The best fine dining Indian restaurants in London