Latest opening: Ambassadors Clubhouse
What: A 140-cover Punjab restaurant located in Mayfair’s Heddon Street on the site that was formerly Berber Mediterranean restaurant Momo.
Who: Ambassadors Clubhouse is the latest opening from JKS Restaurants, the team behind Indian restaurants Gymkhana, Brigadiers, and Trishna as well as number of top restaurants in the capital. JKS is led by its sibling founders Jyotin, Karam, and Sunaina Sethi.
The food: Ambassadors Clubhouse celebrates food from Punjab with a menu that features rare regional recipes. In a recent interview with Restaurant, Karam said that the restaurant will showcase “Indian food in its purest and most classic form” with the food exactly as one would find it in India in terms of the spicing and presentation. The a la carte menu is divided into sections names including ‘papads and chaat’, ‘bitings’, and then a range of kebabs - tandoor, sigri, and tawa before a section of larger karahi and claypot curries cooked in iron karahis and clay matkas. Bitings options include chilli cheese pakode; mutton keema naan; and paneer bhurji potlis samosas, while kebabs include a very fragrant reshmi chicken tikka with peanut chutney; and a mutton seekh kebab with BBQ imli chutney. Many of the dishes feel familiar but there are some that are less so, including a mooli dhai bun kebab; and a malai morel mattar that sees morels stuffed with cheese and served in a mild creamy sauce. Those potentially over faced by the large menu can opt for the four-course feast menu instead, with non-vegetarian and vegetarian options available (£85 and £80 respectively) and there’s also a lunch menu available (three courses for £35, four for £40).
To drink: The spicing can be quite brisk on some of the kebabs and early dishes but a decent cocktail slection is on hand to help. Start with one of a choice of three punchy Punjabi margaritas - either the mezcal-based masala or the tequila-laced tandoori or punjbari - or one of its house cocktails or special gin and tonics. The wine selection is sensible for the location, with whites starting at £45 a bottle rising to £500, and reds from £55 to £600. Also available are a number of spirits by the bottle, accompanied by Indian sodas and juices, and a number of celebratory large serves - including the Patiala Peg made with Johnnie Walker Gold. And, if you’re really in the mood, try one of the three shots that are available - the Bad Chaat made with tequila, fruit, and chaat masala; the Old Monk Cafe XO with frozen Old Monk rum infused with coffee and vanilla; and the Whisky Cherry Cola made with Johnnie Walker Black, cherry, and Thumbs Up cola.
The vibe: Split across two floors, the ground floor is an opulent space with ornate black and white striped pillars, and a maximalist wooden topped central bar with a gold dome, a rich deep pile patterned carpet. Downstairs is a darker and more moody bar space (pictured below) that has tub seats and tables at which guests can also eat - although things do get a bit lively as it’s also home to a DJ booth with tracks spun until the early hours. There is also an outside covered veranda overlooking what will soon be Santiago Lastra's new restaurant Fonda.
And another thing: The restaurant is named after the three siblings’ maternal grandfather, who was a former Indian ambassador, and is inspired by his summer house in Dalhousie and north India’s abandoned party mansions.
25 Heddon Street, London, W1B 4BH
ambassadorsclubhouse.com
