Farzi London appoints Nikhil Mahale as head chef

Haymarket’s Farzi London has announced the appointment of Nikhil Mahale as its new head chef.

With over 23 years’ experience in the hospitality industry, Mahale’s career has spanned continents, learning the diverse multi-cultural flavours whilst developing his “modern edge and technical efficiency”.

Mahale began his professional career at Azok in Mumbai where he worked with the first Indian Michelin Star chef-Vineet, hailed for his experimental fine-dining Indian food, a style which Mahale adopted, developed and will be implementing at Farzi.

Since then, Mahale moved to London in 2010 with a wealth of experience under his belt and took on notable chef, brand design chef, and consultant roles.

These include Simla Restaurant and Zenna Bar, Mumbai 7, Babel House in Mayfair, and his most recent role as Brand Chef at Noir bringing his “modern” skills and experience to each new venture.

According to Farzi, Mahale takes the helm at a “pivotal moment” in the restaurant’s journey as it celebrates its five-year anniversary with a new ethos.

To celebrate this landmark birthday, Farzi curated a new menu championing Northern Indian cuisine inspired by Farzi’s philosophy that “dining should be a joyful experience shared with loved ones”.

Launched this year, the new menu features Farzi Summer Green, Burrata and CousCous Bowl with pear and apple, beetroot and tomato, spinach and kale, chilli lime dressing, Scallop and Turkey Chorizo Skewer – Scottish scallops, garlic and smoked paprika, raw-mango and chilli puree.

Moving to the mains, highlights include Tandoori Mustard Salmon with pickled mustard and cream cheese marinade alongside menu classics such as Farzi’s Chicken Tikka Masala and Lamb Parda Biryani with saffron, basmati rice, Pastry Lid and Raita.

Mahale said: “I have explored and travelled through many countries and tried a variety of cuisines for the past two years and now I aim, with high spirit, to get Farzi to the next level of accolades, using seasonal ingredients, whilst keeping it simple by serving real authentic Indian food. I am very excited to guide Farzi through the next stage of their journey in this momentous year.”