On Saturday Kitchen this weekend, Asma Khan (who is busy promoting her new book Ammu) dropped a rather large bombshell in that she was looking for a new location for Darjeeling Express. Now she has confirmed that the restaurant is closing in July.
Speaking on Saturday Kitchen (20 minutes in, if you want to watch the section in question), Khan said that while the new restaurant had gone really well "I think that I may have to move."
She continues: "It was brilliant during the pandemic (and I haven't said this publicly anywhere) but I am going to move because the real stars of the show are my women in the kitchen. At the moment we are in a kitchen which is in the basement, which is true for most West End places. Anyone who knows anyone wanting to lease a restaurant, I'm in the market, which will allow me to have an open kitchen so my women can be visible. We are, at the price point and the kind of place that we are, the only Indian restaurant in the world with a female founder and an all-female kitchen... I need to show them off because they are my pride and joy".
Later on, she confirmed on Twitter that the final day of Darjeeling Express at its current site would be on 4 July 2022. The restaurant first opened in December 2020, before swiftly closing again for the lockdown, but has been a hit ever since (and very difficult to snag a table). She's also managed to attract more than a few A-list stars, not least Paul Rudd who must surely have a loyalty card by now.
So - if you can manage to get a reservation, now's the time to do so. We'll keep you up to date on the search for a new location. Honey and Co recently managed to find a new space double-quick after announcing their own closure, so hopefully we'll hear news before too long.
Oh, and, if you know of the perfect restaurant site - you know who to contact.
More about Darjeeling Express
Where is it? 2a Garrick St, London WC2E 9BH
When does it close? 4th July 2022
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