Rahul Khanna and Kabir Suri of Azure Hospitality in India will launch their first UK venture on Mortimer Street in Fitzrovia this October, having pushed back the grand opening in March due to the pandemic.
Inspired by India’s diverse culinary heritage, the ground floor 60-cover restaurant, Pali Hill, will offer an eclectic menu of regional sharing plates. Meanwhile, Bandra Bhai will be a lively underground cocktail bar, inspired by the illicit hangouts of India’s smuggling era.
The name Pali Hill comes from one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Mumbai; an area particularly well known for the apartment ‘building societies’ that appear all over the country. These building societies see old residential blocks filled with people from all over the Indian subcontinent.
As a result, their kitchens are always a melting pot of different regional flavours and culinary traditions, with residents often sending dishes to other flats for neighbours to share. This idea of a diverse food culture, with sharing and community at its heart, will be reflected in the atmosphere, interior design and menus at Pali Hill.
Tying the diverse flavours of India together will be the large grill that takes centre stage in Pali Hill’s open kitchen. Designed by Head Chef Avinash Shashidhara, the menu will include seasonally changing small plates such as Girolle and potato stuffed paratha with ghee and lime preserve and Pan-fried lamb sweet breads with black pepper, cumin, crispy curry leaves and mint.
There will also be large sharing dishes such as Grilled Venison lal maas marinated with ginger, herbs and sweet spices and Stuffed Aubergine, green tomato chutney and hung curd with rice flour.
The menu will also feature lesser-known gluten-free flatbreads made using rice, jowar and ragi flour as well as regional classics, chaats, home-style dals, fried fish and slow cooked meats.
