Atul Kochhar

Atul Kochhar is an Indian-born, British-based celebrity chef, restaurateur, television personality and writer. Kochhar is widely regarded as one of the most influential Indian chefs of all time and has been credited with changing the way Indian cuisine is perceived by the world.

He was the first ever Indian chef to receive a Michelin star, awarded in London in 2001 whilst at Tamarind. He later opened his own restaurant called Benares, which won him a second Michelin star in 2007. In June 1993 Kochhar graduated to the five star deluxe Oberoi Hotel in New Delhi. Here he worked as a sous chef in one of the five restaurants in the hotel supervising a staff of 18 and immediately raising the standards in the kitchen.

In 1994 Kochhar moved to London to continue his cooking career at Tamarind in Mayfair and in January 2001 at the age of 31, Kochhar was the first Indian chef to be awarded a Michelin star, a milestone widely regarded as a turning point in the recognition of Indian cuisine at fine-dining level.

Mayfair, London, England 2003–2018 Kochhar opened his own award-winning restaurant on Berkeley Square where he won his second Michelin Star in 2007. He left the business in 2018 following a controversy.

Wickham Vineyard, Hampshire, England 2008–2011 Restaurant at Wickham Vineyard; closed when the lease expired.

Dundrum, Dublin, Ireland 2008–2010 Opened in partnership with the Jaipur Group; Kochhar exited in 2010.

Marylebone, London, England 2010–2011 Modern European restaurant; Kochhar left after approximately 15 months.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates 2010–2012 Indian restaurant chain launched with Landmark Group; Kochhar later parted ways with the brand.

Azura and Britannia 2010–2018 Indian fine-dining concept developed for P&O Cruises.

Petts Wood, Kent, England 2012–present Suburban fine-dining Indian restaurant focusing on regional Indian cuisine.

JW Marriott Marquis, Dubai, United Arab Emirates 2012–2018 Flagship Indian restaurant at the JW Marriott Marquis; Kochhar was fired in 2018 following a controversy.

St. Regis Mauritius Resort, Mauritius 2012–2014 Signature Indian restaurant at the resort; later rebranded.

Marlow, Buckinghamshire, England 2014–present Fine-dining restaurant overlooking the River Thames.

Madrid, Spain 2015–2018 Spanish outpost of Benares; Kochhar exited in 2018.

Mumbai, India 2016–2018 Restaurant focused on Indian diaspora cuisine; closed after two years.

Mumbai, India 2016–2018 Latin American-inspired restaurant launched during Kochhar's return to India.

Amersham, Buckinghamshire, England 2017–2024 Modern British restaurant with Indian influences; closed in 2024.

Mayfair, London, England 2019–present Kochhar's new flagship restaurant, opened on Mayfair's Maddox Street in March 2019 following his departure from Benares just months earlier.

Marlow, Buckinghamshire, England 2020–present Kochhar's second restaurant in Marlow, paying homage to North Indian cuisine.

Gurugram, India 2021–2024 Kochhar co-founded the restaurant and exited in 2024.

Westminster, London, England 2021–2022 Restaurant at the former Westminster Fire Station; later rebranded.

Heathrow Airport, Terminal 5, England 2021–2023 A spin-off on Kochhar's flagship restaurant Kanishka in Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5.

Wembley Park, London, England 2021–present Casual dining concept inspired by Indian street food.

Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England 2022–present Restaurant inspired by Indian royal culinary traditions.

Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England 2024–present Restaurant showcasing regional Indian cuisine in a historic setting.

In 2018, Kochhar faced public backlash after posting an Islamophobic tweet which he later apologised for and stated that his comments were "insensitive and wrong". His tweets were in response to Bollywood actress, Priyanka Chopra's role in the action series Quantico, following an episode which featured a terrorist plot devised by a group of Hindu nationalists.

As a result of this, the JW Marriott Marquis Hotel in Dubai terminated its partnership with him for the operation of their Rang Mahal restaurant, citing a misalignment with the hotel's values of diversity and inclusion.

Later that year, Kochhar also departed from his Michelin‑starred flagship restaurant, Benares in Mayfair after a 15-year tenure. This change was a huge shock for one of the best restaurants in London and Benares lost its Michelin Star just a few months after Kochhar's departure.

He has gone on to open several other restaurants alongside Kanishka since his departure from Benares including Masalchi in Wembley Park, Vaasu in Marlow, Riwaz in Beaconsfield and Essence in Royal Tunbridge Wells. These new openings as well as with his two older restaurants: Sindhu in Marlow and Indian Essence in Petts Wood have taken Kochhar's current portfolio to 7 restaurants in the United Kingdom.

Media Kochhar has been featured on BBC2's television series Million Pound Menu. He previously presented a series called Curry on with Atul Kochhar on the B4U network and a series on Malaysia called Kochhar's Spice Kitchen. Kochhar appeared in Masterchef Goes Large, season two and BBC2's Great British Menu in a bid to create a menu in honour of the Queen's 80th Birthday. He also appeared in Market Kitchen and Saturday Kitchen series 1–3.

Personal life

Kochhar lives in West London and is married to his wife Deepti. Together they have a son called Arjun and a daughter called Amisha.

Publications

Fish, Indian Style (2008), Absolute, Atul's Curries of the World (2013), Absolute, Benares: Michelin Starred Cooking (2015), Absolute, Simple Indian (2016), Quadrille, 30 Minute Curries (2017), Absolute Press, Curry Everyday (2022), Absolute Press,