Avinash Shashidhara announces departure from Pahli Hill Bandra Bhai

head chef Avinash Shashidhara has announced he is leaving Pahli Hill Bandra Bhai after five years.

Born and raised in Bangalore, India, Avinash transformed traditional homestyle Indian cooking into a masterful display at his restaurant Pahli Hill Bandra Bhai in London’s Fitzrovia.

His hospitality career began after he pursued a degree in hotel management before moving to the UK in 2005, starting his journey at Claude Bosi’s two Michelin-starred Hibiscus in Ludlow.

Eager to develop his career further, Avinash left the restaurant to take up work at John Hoskins’ The Old Bridge Hotel.

In 2023, he appeared on BBC's Great British Menu, representing the London and South East region. He also collaborated with British-Caribbean chef Andi Oliver, merging Indian and Caribbean culinary traditions.

Pahli Hill Bandra Bhai was awarded a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand at the 2022 Michelin Guide Awards for its high quality Indian dishes and has retained the accolade ever since.

In a post on social media announcing his departure from the restaurant, Avinash said: “I have a huge announcement, after five wonderful years of working at Pahli Hill Bandra Bhai, I’ve decided to move on. I want to say a huge thank you to the investors and my team and wish them continued success. Also want to say thank you to all the wonderful suppliers who’ve supported me over the years.

“Most importantly, I want to say thank you to my guests, my family, my friends who’ve come into the restaurant, who relished my food, who really appreciated what we do there, so its been an honour cooking for you all so thank you so much.

“I’m just going to take a little break, enjoy the sunshine and ill keep you posted on what’s next.”

Avinash previously told The Staff Canteen: "The food at Pahli Hill is very homestyle and seasonal, we're trying to take it back to what I or some of my chefs would eat at home growing up in India" explained Avinash.

He added: "I get my chefs to cook from their memories of comfort food rather than from what they learned to cook at other restaurants. Food they grew up eating, food their families had cherished memories about. That, to me is so much more meaningful than cooking from some cookbook or recreating recipes tried at another restaurant."

Plans for a new head chef at Pahli Hill Bandra Bhai are yet to be announced.

Written by Abi Kinsella