Mary Chutney glamorous interior design is reflective of the artistic traditions of India. (File)
Chutney Mary, one of London's well-known Indian diners, has bagged the title of Restaurant of the Year at the annual AA Hospitality Awards, which celebrates the UK's top restaurants, hotels, spas, and pubs.
The 33-year-old restaurant in central London, known to be among the favourites of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and a hangout for many celebrities, was conferred the award at a ceremony in London on Monday night.
The 'AA Restaurant Guide', behind the coveted AA Rosette ratings recognising culinary excellence for the UK's hospitality industry akin to the French Michelin stars, also celebrated its 30th outing with its 2024 edition.
"This award is completely unexpected, but greatly appreciated by my fellow directors and the committed long-serving team at Chutney Mary," said Camellia Panjabi, the Indian-origin Group Director of MW Eat, the UK-based hospitality company behind Chutney Mary and other popular Indian restaurants including Michelin-starred Veeraswamy and Amaya as well as four branches of Masala Zone.
"It is particularly noteworthy since Chutney Mary is a 33-year-old restaurant; to be acknowledged now for this significant and esteemed achievement is especially touching, considering the focus among media is so often on the newest restaurants, food trends and rising star chefs," she said.
After 25 years in Chelsea, the fine-dining restaurant has been located on St. James's Street near London's Ritz Hotel since 2015. Its glamorous interior design is reflective of the artistic traditions of different parts of India and the menu is designed around contemporary Indian cuisine.
"Chutney Mary is one of London's finest restaurants and a class act. It combines a wonderful stylish location and interiors, accomplished cooking, and delivering exceptional dishes with fantastic hospitality and service. Such a great restaurant, loved by so many, is so deserving to be our AA Restaurant of the Year for London," said Simon Numphud, Managing Director of the AA Media Group.
Chutney Mary was recognised for its originality, regionality and innovation of its cuisine, alongside exceptional hospitality. It also stood out as the only Indian restaurant to be recognised with an award at this week's ceremony, attended by over 1,000 representatives and celebrities from Britain's hospitality industry.
The AA's joint hotel and restaurant guides were established in the UK in 1967, with the Rosette awards dating back to 1956 as the first nationwide scheme of recognition of excellence of restaurants and hotels.
Each year, winners are awarded in several categories as best in class following unannounced professional inspections and verified by the AA's Hospitality Awards Panel, with the results representing some of the UK's finest dining experiences.
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