GymkhanalondonReviews of gymkhanalondon.com

I am leaving this review to share my experience regarding this restaurant’s policy on pre-paid gift vouchers. I was gifted a £100 voucher by friends for my birthday. Unfortunately, I allowed it to pass its expiration date, an oversight that was entirely my mistake. However, when I reached out to the restaurant to check if I could still use the voucher, I asked if there was any room for compromise. The expiry date on a voucher is a deadline set by the business itself, and management could easily choose to extend or adjust it at their discretion. Given that they had already received £100 of upfront cash without providing any food, drinks, or service, I asked whether they would consider honouring even a portion of the credit, allowing a midweek booking, or even letting me use the voucher at one of the less busy restaurants in the group. Management flatly refused, offering zero flexibility or partial credit. While I understand they are within their contractual rights to enforce their terms, retaining 100% of pre-paid cash when an arbitrary date passes, with zero effort to find a reasonable middle ground, shows a complete lack of customer goodwill, and shines a light on the attitude they have toward customers. If you are considering buying a gift voucher here for friends or family, be aware that their stance on expired credit is strictly zero-tolerance.

I want to meet that person who judged this restaurant and decided to give two stars, it does not even deserve half star. My street food vendor in India cooks better meals than this restaurant, and btw his whole truck would cost less than what we ended up spending for a three course meal and a drink. We only 'just liked' Vada pao as it was quite innovative, all tandoori items had soo much salt as if it was the first time they tried it since Gandhi did the dandi march. We went to the bar expecting some creative drinks, all she did it, put a fancy square shaped ice in a whisky glass and poured 'pre made cocktail' in the glass, which barely tasted like cocktail and more like a sugary drink. Service is soo horrible as well, we had made the reservation months ago, and when we arrived, the freaking table was not ready, AND THEY ASKED US TO STAND AT THE BAR WHICH HAD LIKE BARELY ANY SPACE FOR OTHER TO PASSBY AND WAY TO THE KITCHEN WAS JUST NEXT TO IT. After 20 mins of wait, they gave us the table, and we kept on waiting for another 10 mins until we literally raised our hands asking for menu, and did it again to place the order. We were celebrating get together which we had mentioned in our reservation as well, but nobody gave a damn about it, unsure why they asked in the first place. I don't like Dhisoom much tbh, but after visiting this shitty place, my respect for Dhisoom jumped 10 times.

Let’s start with the positive points. Great atmosphere, very good services. The lunch starters very good. Prawn Goa very good, very good tandoori bread. Areas of improvements - the butter chicken needs to be re worked on. Chicken quality needs improving, the sauce needs more taste and ours was bit watery. The sag is not sag even though it’s tasty but it’s just spinach. The Channa was the worst and needs to be cooked properly. Daal was not tempered with garlic. Very high salt content so if you have high BP avoid at all cost. Price paid was not worth it. Even though they have high operating costs they should cook proper Indian food. They only respond to 5 star rating but to others they don’t respond. Most who give 5 stars may have not eaten proper Indian food. Go to Southall for real taste of Indian/Pakistani food. Would I go again - big fat NO

I was given a £200 voucher for a special birthday. I have tried repeatedly to book but, not living in London, I can't easily start a meal at 10.30 at night, which are usually the only slots left. I have stayed up to midnight on 2 occasions to try to book a date I can do with no success. The voucher is only valid for 10 months, which is also shorter than I expected. I work full time so am not always free in the day but even if I booked leave to go, I have not been able to book a weekday lunchtime on a day I can go. So, the very generous gift is wasted. Gymkhana have pocketed the money and this is effectively a scam.

For a special birthday we went for lunch and tried the tasting menu. The reservation system was quite challenging before we even arrived and the expiry date on any vouchers is less than one year. When you have to book three months ahead the accessibility window lessens more. The food was absolutely delicious but having said that, some of it could have been hotter in temperature, especially the bread. Service, although very attentive, could have been a bit slower. We hadn’t finished the first course when plates were being brought to the table fir the next course and thing being moved. The little chocolate birthday mousse cake was a thoughtful touch at the end. Maybe I’m being old fashioned, but for the price of the meal I would have expected tablecloths, more comfortable seating and not to be stuck by a pillar. A lovely meal overall but certainly with a few tweaks the experience could have been so much more.

I recently had a rather unpleasant experience with Gymkhana reservations and I feel compelled to share my grievances. As someone who genuinely wanted to support local businesses during the challenging times of the pandemic, I purchased a voucher (£200) from this restaurant to extend a helping hand and show my solidarity. Little did I know that this act of kindness would turn into a frustrating ordeal. The voucher, which I bought during the height of the COVID-19 crisis, was a way for me to demonstrate my support and appreciation. I believed that my gesture would not only provide a much-needed boost to their revenue but also forge a sense of connection and appreciation for loyal customers like myself. However, when the time came to redeem the voucher, which was past the “use by”date” I was met with cold indifference and a complete lack of empathy from the restaurant staff. I genuinely expected at least a modicum of acknowledgment for my goodwill and the fact that I had been unable to utilize the voucher earlier due to unforeseen circumstances - but apparently it is a case of “computer says no”. The restaurant's reservations team decided to enforce a strict expiration policy, showing no regard for the difficulties their patrons might have faced during the pandemic. Instead of recognizing the sentiment behind my purchase, they dismissively shrugged off my attempts to explain the delay in redemption. Their response was disheartening, (they sent me a copy and past of their T&Cs) and it felt as if my efforts to support the restaurant were taken for granted. What adds insult to injury is the fact that many other businesses have been far more understanding during these challenging times, extending the validity of vouchers or offering alternative solutions to accommodate their loyal customers. The complete lack of flexibility displayed by Gymkhana has left me deeply disappointed. As a loyal customer I had high hopes for the restaurant to uphold their end of the deal and reciprocate the support they received during the pandemic. Unfortunately, my experience has left me with a bitter taste in my mouth and a reluctance to return. In conclusion, I urge Gymkhana to reconsider their approach towards honouring vouchers purchased during COVID-19. Demonstrating empathy and gratitude towards loyal customers during these times is crucial for building lasting relationships and fostering goodwill. Until then, I cannot in good conscience recommend to anyone seeking a dining experience that values its customers and recognizes their efforts to support local businesses.