Chokhi Dhani to open first overseas venue in Battersea

Indian hospitality company Chokhi Dhani will open its first overseas restaurant in London on 12 April.

A two-tonne bronze sculpture of a life-sized elephant will greet diners to the venue on Riverside Walk, Battersea, which will incorporate a street food concept on the ground floor and a formal restaurant upstairs.

Chokhi Dhani London has pledged to bring the fine food, vibrant atmosphere and service of its venues in Rajasthan to the UK.

The menu, overseen by Vishnu Natarajan, formerly of Soho's Carom, will feature dishes from Rajasthan alongside offerings from across the subcontinent.

Working alongside Natarajan will be Bhagwan Singh, most recently of Cinnamon Culture in Bromley; Mohammed Naseem Qureshi, formerly of Bombay Bustle in Mayfair, and pastry chef Rakesh Sharma, previously of Chutney Mary in St James's.

The restaurant's interiors will feature a collection of bespoke artworks produced by some of India's most respected artisans, including Vivek K Agrawal, the curator, artist and mentor of the Indian Sculpture and Art Company, who created the showpiece life-sized elephant.

Kriti Vaswani, whose father Gul Vaswani launched the first Chokhi Dhani venue in Jaipur, Rajasthan, in 1990, will head up Chokhi Dhani London, joined by general manager Dan Jelensek, formerly of Vineet Bhatia, Chelsea.

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