Zaika is reopening its doors in Kensington

Indian restaurant Zaika is reopening its doors this November with a new menu, new team and revived look.

The restaurant, located on Kensington High Street, will be a sister restaurant to Tamarind of Mayfair. The original Zaika was bought by the Tamarind group back in early 2013 and became the One Kensington brasserie, but will be back now once again as Zaika.

Heading the team will be Mumbai-born executive chef Sanjay Gour, who has previously cooked in Dubai under Jason Atherton at Verre and Maze London, the Savoy Grill and Murano under Angela Hartnett. He will be supported by head chef Dayashankar Sharma who has spent 11 years with the group.

Rahul Khanna, who is responsible for business development within the Tamarind group called the launch an exciting time for the group and said: “Sanjay is an extremely talented chef and brings so much life to his cooking and the project as a whole. Alongside Tamarind, the original Zaika was the first Indian restaurant to gain a Michelin star; we hope to recapture its popularity and work towards regaining such accolades.”

Sanjay will be returning to his culinary roots at the restaurant with a menu inspired by the techniques and flavours of the Awadhi cuisine of Northern India; a food style influenced by the middle-east but using cooking methods which resemble European techniques.

In addition to the a la carte menu will be the special dish Sikandri Raan (slow braised lamb leg, browned onion, cashew nut and almond sauce). Serving four to five diners it must be pre-ordered 48 hours in advance to allow time for a lengthy slow cook.

Sanjay has experience as a pastry chef, and so the dessert menu will be composed of Indian influenced dishes such as Indian ‘Old Monk’ Rum Baba, Lauki Kheer (bottle-gourd pudding, Madagascan vanilla apples) and Matka Kulfi (Hazelnut praline parfait).

The restaurant space is a former banking hall, and retains original features such as wood panelled walls, vaulted ceilings and double-height windows which offer views over Kensington Palace Gardens. An abundance of plants and fresh flowers around the room will reflect the tropics of India and a living wall of greenery will screen a semi-private 20 cover dining area situated on a raised platform at the front of the restaurant.

By Stuart Armstrong