Dum Biryani’s Dhruv Mittal to open second site in London

Chef-turned-restaurateur Dhruv Mittal is set to open Lucknow Social in Mayfair this month, serving regional Indian cuisine.

Named in homage to the northern Indian cuisine Lucknowi, the restaurant will offer a lunch menu including gilafi kulcha bread with a choice of chicken kakori or lamb galauti kebab with the option of a smaller biryani to take away.  The dinner menu will feature kebabs such as the kakori kebab with clove, black pepper, and cinnamon, grilled over coals alongside slow-cooked curries and biryanis such as Awadhi chicken biryani, with saffron, rose water, screw pine essence, and a ‘perfume’ made with the roots of flowers.

Wine consultant and writer, Zeren Wilson, has been commissioned to design a wine list to pair with Lucknowi cuisine, including a selection of champagnes. Wilson’s previous clients include Santo Remedio, Smoking Goat, Kiln, Sambal Shiok, Arabica Bar and Kitchen, and Shuang Shuang. Mittal is also set to launch a Lucknow Social beer in collaboration with Hackney Brewery.

The interiors will be created by the award-winning New York-based design company MP Shift, to “celebrate the colours of India, the idiosyncrasies of Indian roadside café and the warmth of a Dhaba kitchen.” A playlist of acoustic Indian music will contribute to the immersive experience.

Mittal’s culinary background includes Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck, Hibiscus and Restaurant Sat Bains, with the new restaurant on Maddox Street following the success of Mittal and team’s Dum Biryani House which opened on Wardour Street in 2016.

He said: “Awadhi cooking is a slow process, with most dishes taking days to prepare – it’s a real labour of love. Spending time cooking in Agra and travelling around Lucknow, I was blown away by its multi-layered flavours and cooking techniques.”

Lucknow Social opens in April.