Year Ender 2024: Indian chefs and restaurants – not just in the country but across the world – are shining a global spotlight on Indian food in different ways. Several establishments won prestigious awards in 2024. Chefs creatively showcased the diversity of Indian cuisine and the richness of home-grown ingredients on a global scale in other ways as well. As the year comes to a close, we summarize some of these achievements that have done the country proud and should be celebrated. Watch the highlights below:
Year Ender: Here are 11 examples of how Indian restaurants and Indian food will gain global recognition in 2024:
1. An Indian restaurant in Doha wins a Michelin star
Jamawar Doha was awarded a Michelin star at the inaugural ceremony of the Michelin Guide in Doha. It serves cuisine from different parts of India. It was one of two restaurants in Doha to receive a star this year. Jamawar is part of the LSL Capital Restaurant Group founded by father and daughter duo Dinesh and Samyuktha Nair. Chef Surendra Mohan serves as its culinary director and executive chef. Jamawar has many outposts in India and abroad. Jamawar London also currently holds one Michelin star. Click here for more information.
2. An Indian restaurant in Texas wins a Michelin star
Musafar, an Indian fine dining restaurant in Houston, was awarded a Michelin star at the Texas Michelin Awards ceremony earlier this year. It is headed by Chef Mayank Istwal and founded by Shammi and Mithu Malik. Located in a mall called The Galleria, the ambiance of Musafar has been described as “exciting” as its food offerings. Its name, ‘Musafar’, which means ‘traveller’ in Urdu, is inspired by the team’s 100-day culinary journey across India to explore its diverse cuisines. Get the full article here.
3. Two Indian restaurants in Britain win their second Michelin stars
Gymkhana in London and Opium in Birmingham both won their second Michelin stars in 2024. Gymkhana won its first Michelin star in 2014. It is inspired by the elite gymkhana clubs of colonial India. Opium, owned by chef Akhtar Islam, is known for using British ingredients with a distinctly Indian flavour. It was awarded its first Michelin star in 2019.
4. Many Indian restaurants around the world retain their Michelin stars
There is no Indian version of the Michelin Guide. But restaurants specializing in Indian food located outside the country have been awarded Michelin stars over the years. While winning a Michelin star is considered one of the highest honors in the industry, maintaining it is no small feat. The restaurant has to work tirelessly to maintain its standards in every way and prove itself worthy of this prestigious accolade. In 2024, many Indian restaurants around the world managed to retain their Michelin stars. They include Semma in New York (which retained its one star for the third consecutive year), Rania in Washington DC, Indien in Chicago, Ga in Bangkok (which retained its two Michelin stars won last year), Haoma in Bangkok, INDDEE in Bangkok. Are included. , New Punjab Club in Hong Kong and Chaat in Hong Kong.
Tresind Studios and Avatara in Dubai also retained their stars this year. There are several one-Michelin-starred Indian restaurants in London, many of which have retained their accolades. These include Veeraswami, Banaras, Jamavar, Quilon, Trishna and Amaya.
5. Chef Vikas Khanna’s restaurant awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand
Chef Vikas Khanna’s renowned New York restaurant, Bungalow, won the Michelin “Bib Gourmand” award in 2024. This honor is given to establishments serving quality food and providing the best value for money (read more here). Additionally, in 2024, the restaurant received critical acclaim from The New York Times, among other prestigious publications in the United States. In the past year, the bungalow has also made headlines for its many celebrity guests, including Bollywood A-listers, international stars and others. Jeff Bezos, Jenna Fischer, Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas are some of the big names who visited chef Vikas Khanna’s restaurants in 2024.
6. Two Indian establishments were featured in Time Magazine’s ‘World’s Greatest Places’ 2024
Two Indian destinations have been named in Time magazine’s list of the ‘World’s Greatest Places’ for 2024: Manam Chocolates in Hyderabad and Nar in Himachal Pradesh. Both establishments aim to highlight homegrown ingredients in different ways. Manam Chocolates is a premium craft chocolate brand based in Hyderabad that supports Indian cocoa. Its flagship experiential space and factory – Manam Chocolate Factory – opened in Hyderabad in 2023. Located in a boutique hotel in Himachal Pradesh, Naar is an intimate restaurant. It is helmed by renowned chef Prateek Sadhu, who aims to celebrate the bounty of the mountains through his cuisine. See the full article here.
Also read: 11 traditional foods added to UNESCO cultural heritage list in 2024
7. Two Indian restaurants named among world’s 50 best
Chef Gagan Anand’s progressive Indian restaurant Gagan in Bangkok was ranked 9th in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants for 2024. This is not the first time that Gagan has made it to this prestigious list. According to the same ranking, the restaurant was also named Asia’s Best Restaurant this year. See the full article here. Tresind Studio in Dubai, run by Chef Himanshu Saini, was ranked 13th worldwide. It was named the best restaurant in the Middle East for 2024. Tresinde Studio also emerged last year as the best restaurant in the Middle East and Africa. Read more about it here.
8. Eight India-based restaurants ranked among Asia’s 100 best restaurants for 2024.
Three Indian establishments were included in the prestigious list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants for 2024, with five Indian restaurants also ranked from 51-100 in the extended list. Mask (Mumbai) was ranked 23rd, Indian Accent (New Delhi) was ranked 26th and Avartana (Chennai) was ranked 44th. Indian restaurants on the extended list were Americano (Mumbai), The Bombay Canteen (Mumbai), Comorin (Gurugram), Dum Pukht (New Delhi) and Eka (Mumbai). Know more about them here.
9. Five Indian bars named among Asia’s 100 best for 2024
ZLB23, located inside The Leela Palace Bengaluru, was named the Best Bar in India for 2024 by the World’s 50 Best organization. It was the only Indian bar to make it to the prestigious list of Asia’s 50 Best Bars this year. The ZLB23 was ranked 40th overall. Find out more about it here. Four Indian bars were included in the extended list of Asia’s Best Bars for 2024, meaning they were ranked from 51-100. They were Bombay Canteen (Mumbai) at 59th position, followed by Layer (New Delhi) at 68th position, Sidecar (New Delhi) at 84th position and Home (New Delhi) at 96th position. Click here to read more.
10. Indian cuisine shines in the list of Taste Atlas Awards 2024-25
As the year ended, the Test Atlas Awards 2024-25 made headlines in the country for several reasons. The popular food and travel guide published a series of food-related lists, in which Indian entries took top positions. Globally, Indian cuisine was ranked the 12th best food region, Punjab the 7th best food region and Mumbai the 5th best food city. Taste Atlas also refreshed its ranking of the world’s 100 most famous restaurants this year. Two Indian establishments made the top 10 and a total of seven made the top 100 (read more here). Indian dishes like Murgh Makhani, Hyderabadi Biryani, Chicken 65, Keema, Malai Kofta, Misal Pav, Amritsari Kulcha, Butter Garlic Naan etc. were also included in the various category-wise lists released by Taste Atlas.
11. An Indian chocolate wins gold medal at the International Chocolate Awards 2024
Kerala-based chocolate brand Paul & Mike recently created history. It became the first Indian brand to win a gold medal at the prestigious International Chocolate Awards. Paul & Mike’s Milk Chocolate Coated Salted Capers won first place in the ‘Milk Chocolate Enrobed Whole Fruit’ category. To formulate the award-winning chocolates, the premium domestic brand sourced capers and salt from Tuticorin on the east coast of India and cocoa from the Western Ghats. Learn more here.
Also read: These are India’s best restaurants for 2025, according to La Liste’s latest scores
