London hospitality powerhouse JKS Restaurants is to launch its first Indian concept in five years, a Punjab-focused space that will celebrate the “food, drink, music and culture” from the region.
Founders Jyotin, Karam and Sunaina Sethi have drawn inspiration from their maternal grandfather, a former Indian ambassador, to create Ambassadors Clubhouse, which will open at 25 Heddon Street in Mayfair this September.
The restaurant is loosely based on their late grandfather’s summer house in Dalhousie (formerly part of Punjab) and northern India’s abandoned party mansions, where food, drink, and revelry was always in abundance.
Karam told the Standard the “time is right” for another higher-end Indian restaurant.
“We’re in a strong position,” he said. “It’s a case of biding our time. We’ve had the idea for maybe ten years and we think there’s demand out there for restaurants such as these, and a solid market.
“Since the Nineties, these modern Indian restaurants have been popular in London. And more recently, it’s been important to shine a spotlight on regional food. We’ve been developing the menu for a long time.”
JKS’ last Indian brand was Brigadiers, an Indian barbecue joint based on the siblings’ paternal grandfather, a brigadier in the Indian Army. Karam said Ambassadors Clubhouse will be somewhere between that and Gymkhana, the group’s two Michelin-star restaurant in Mayfair.
“Growing up, we spent every summer in the Punjab, eating the food and learning about the culture, and this is inspired by all of that,” Karam added.
In an announcement, JKS said the menu will feature classic papads, chaats, lesser-known kebabs cooked across the tandoor, biryanis, breads and karahis.
Drinks will focus on tequila, mezcal, and cocktails such as “Punjabi margaritas”, which will be made with Indian fruits and citrus and paired with masala-spiced salts.
The 140-cover restaurant will be split across two floors and decorated with Indian prints. In the centre, a sweeping bar with a gold dome, while a DJ booth will spark into life to make use of the site’s 3am licence.
Elsewhere, a music series will be hosted on the lower ground floor with nights of Punjabi dance, hip hop, garage and house, and comes in collaboration with Punjabi cultural curator Sukhchain Sohal.
