Amaya

Amaya opened in 2004 in the Halkin Arcade, set back from Motcomb Street on the border where Knightsbridge meets Belgravia, and won a Michelin star in 2006 that it has held since. It was the work of Ranjit Mathrani and Camellia Panjabi of the MW Eat group, and it rewrote the grammar of Indian fine dining in London: small, differently sized plates built for sharing, sent out as they come off the grill rather than in courses. The cooking happens in full view, across tawa griddle, tandoor and sigri charcoal, with the flames of the open kitchen the centre of the room.

The dining room is one of the most distinctive in the area. Pink Agra sandstone walls, rosewood furniture and clusters of hand-blown crystal pendant lights give it a glow that runs light and bright at lunch and deepens after dark, while carved sculptures and bright murals of Indian wildlife line the space. A long communal table seats twelve through the centre of the restaurant, and an enclosed private dining room hung with Indian artwork sits away from the main floor.

For a private gathering it suits an intimate dinner rather than a late party: there is no resident DJ booth or dancefloor, and the kitchen and front-of-house carry the evening. The private dining room takes up to fourteen behind its own walls, the communal table gathers larger groups in the thick of the restaurant, and the kitchen sends sharing menus drawn from the full repertoire of the grills.