A fresh wave of Indian chefs is transforming the country’s culinary scene by deeply exploring its rich and diverse gastronomic heritage, while simultaneously pushing creative boundaries to craft groundbreaking dishes and tasting menus. This emerging trend is a marked change from just over a decade ago when upscale dining was a rarity outside major metropolitan areas. The launch of Indian Accent in Delhi in 2009, featuring a curated six-course tasting experience, was an important milestone but did not immediately spark widespread change.
In Mumbai, pioneering restaurants like Indigo and The Table raised the bar with a focus on sophisticated European ingredients. However, the landscape shifted significantly with the arrival of Bombay Canteen and Masque in 2015 and 2016. These restaurants championed Indian flavours and ingredients, moving away from traditional, grandiose dining styles and Eurocentric menus. This period was pivotal in reshaping contemporary Indian cuisine, with returning chefs embracing their heritage and determined to innovate within the framework of Indian cooking.
Today, the fine dining scene in India aims to celebrate the vast culinary diversity across its 28 states. For years, Indian cuisine was typecast and reduced abroad to a handful of stereotypes, often limiting its rich offerings. Chefs like those at Farmlore in Bangalore emphasize that Indian cuisine is not monolithic but rather a collection of many regional cuisines, each with distinct ingredients, techniques, and stories. Like established culinary traditions in France or Japan, Indian food is increasingly being treated with equal respect, focusing on indigenous ingredients and regional narratives.
Renowned eateries such as Indian Accent, Masque, and Trèsind (which expanded from Dubai to Mumbai) take inspiration from a wide spectrum of Indian culinary heritage to tell the country’s larger food story. Others, such as Noon in Mumbai from 2022 to 2024, zoomed in on particular regions, showcasing flavors from Kashmir, Ladakh, and Maharashtra. This culinary evolution is supported by a growing domestic clientele eager for fine dining experiences, propelled by economic growth and a hunger for innovative, experiential cuisine.
The movement is locally driven, with Indian diners fueling the change rather than international tourists. As one chef highlights, India does not seek external validation for its cuisine; instead, by embracing its own culinary identity fully, the world will be naturally drawn to it.
An example of this creative spirit can be found at Papa’s in Mumbai. This whimsical restaurant, part of the Inc hospitality group, offers an immersive dining experience with precision cooking, playful presentations, and engaging staff interactions. It honors the legacy of Floyd Cardoz, a pioneering chef who passed in 2020, through inventive dishes that blend traditional Indian flavors with contemporary culinary artistry, continuing to push the boundaries of what Indian food can be.
