The story
Chutney Mary is a London Indian restaurant at 73 St James's Street, SW1A 1PH, and has held three AA Rosettes for culinary excellence since 2026. The kitchen has cooked regional Indian food since the 1990s, drawing on the cooking of Goa and Kolkata as well as Mumbai and Peshawar.
The Good Food Guide, which rated the restaurant Very Good in 2026, described a menu that moves between regions. Dabba gosht is a creamy, nutty lamb stew, and baked crab balchao arrives in its dish, gently spiced and topped with crisp breadcrumbs. A Karwan fish curry uses halibut and a nut-thickened sauce. Desserts include cherry shrikhand and a Persian kulfi moulded like citrus segments.
Upstairs, the Pukka Bar has sofa seating and intimate booths. The cocktails draw on Indian botanicals, citrus and aromatics, and they change with the seasons. A saffron martini and a gimlet made with Bengali lime are regulars. Snacks include richly spiced venison rolls and a papad basket.
Recognition
Details
History
Camellia Panjabi was one of the first restaurateurs in London to showcase, in a modern idiom, the many-splendid iterations of Indian regional cooking. This is upscale food that shines with glittery excitement and regal flavours in a glamorous setting. On arrival, you are engulfed in a wave of attention; some might feel a touch overwhelmed, but for others it’s a magic carpet ride to the glory days of the Raj. The cavernous interior is glitzy, glossy, lavishly crammed with gilt, crystal, shimmering lights, framed colonial prints, large artworks and etched glass. The food is equally polished: dabba gosht was a creamy, nutty lamb stew; baked crab balchao served in its baking dish was gently spiced and topped with crispy breadcrumbs. Other small plates might include baked venison samosa or scallops in Mangalorean sauce. There is an Indian barbecue selection offering the likes of tandoori Amritsan sea bass or Afghani chicken tikka, as well as roster of slow-cooked dishes that includes 'Parsi wedding' duck, Bengal lamb curry and a delicious nut-thickened Karwan fish curry made with halibut. The waiting staff are happy to convey any request to modify the spicing back to the kitchen. Desserts are equally wide-ranging within the national compass: dark chocolate and Punjabi rum tart, cherry shrikhand or perfect Persian kulfi, elegantly moulded like citrus segments and served on a silvery plate. The Sunday brunch is also worth noting, as is the Pukka Bar lunch.
3 Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence
Location
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