Pahli Hill awarded Michelin Bib Gourmand

Pahli Hill, an Indian restaurant based in Fitzrovia, has been awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand – a sought-after accolade that honours dine out venues that "serve great food for reasonable prices". 

Led by head chef Avinash Shahidhara, formerly of River Café and Hibiscus, the restaurant has been widely reviewed and critically acclaimed, described as "full of zest" by Fay Maschler in The Evening Standard, and "a premium passage to India awash with joyful surprises..." by Marina O'Loughlin in her review for The Sunday Times, with O'Loughlin also choosing Shahidhara's crab sukkah as her death row starter.

Michelin awarded the Bib Gourmand on Friday (11 February), saying: "A couple of minutes' walk from Oxford Circus tube is the bright restaurant with an open kitchen and a fresh, fun vibe. The cooking has a lighter style than at most Indian restaurants: choose from dishes such as Mangalore bun with crab sukkha, fennel seeds, crushed chilli and ginger or sea bass stewed in banana lead, accompanied by some delicious Tandoori sourdough roti with house ghee. Sharing is encouraged, staff are friendly and professional – and there's an intimate bar in the basement."

Having opened in 2020 only to close immediately due to the pandemic, Pahli Hill was the first UK venture for owners Rahul Khanna and Kabir Suri of Azure Hospitality in India.

Chef Shishahdara comments: "We opened Pahli Hill in the hardest of times and [are] very pleased to get this recognition from Michelin. I'm so very proud of the team; for their hard work and support, and look forward to welcoming both new guests who might discover us and old ones that have continued to support us since we have opened."

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