An interconnected journey through memory, friendship and regional discovery, Romy Gill’s six-course tasting menu tells a story in which every dish carries a piece of her life.
To watch Romy Gill MBE work the dining room is to witness hospitality in an instinctive, generous form. There is no rehearsed detachment or stiff dining-room theatre. She moves between tables with warm eye contact and an infectious smile, revealing that the Negroni is her personal drink of choice and encouraging guests to celebrate without restraint. When asked to single out a favourite dish from the launch, she laughs, refusing to choose just one.
Suddenly, the evening erupts into vibrant celebration. Two dhol players from the Imperial Drummers take centre stage, their thunderous Punjabi beats colliding with familiar British pop anthems. Guests are swept from their seats and into the rhythm of the night before a single plate has left the pass. It is an introduction that sets the tone for what follows.
The Snack: A Taste of Home
The journey begins with a childhood favourite: Samosa Chaat, a street-food classic built around nine layers of texture and flavour. Crisp pastry and spiced chickpeas meet cool yogurt and vibrant chutneys, finished with golden sev, bursts of pomegranate and a dusting of chaat masala. A bright balance of crunch, spice, and tang.
This dish is paired with Rhythm Winery’s Alphonso Mango Wine (Pune, Maharashtra, NV), a bottle that honours India’s “king of mangoes”, a fruit often associated with love. Smooth, fruity and beautifully balanced, it softens the yoghurt’s acidity and lifts the tang of the chaat masala, leaving the palate ready for course ahead.
The Starters: Stories of Friendship
Next comes Sukha Crab, inspired by a recipe prepared for Romy by a close friend’s mother. Ghee-toasted brioche provides a crisp, buttery foundation for spiced Cornish crab, with delicate enoki mushrooms offered as an alternative. Fried curry leaf and roasted pod add texture and fragrance, while toasted coconut and mustard seed bring aromatic warmth. The sweetness of the seafood meets the richness of the toast in a combination that feels immediately comforting. Even without the memory, it feels warm and familiar.
The following course draws us further into Romy’s own past. Rooted in her childhood in North Bengal, the octopus brings together panch phoron, the region’s distinctive five-spice blend, with a poaching technique learnt from a chef friend. Glazed until tender and caramelised, the tentacle sits alongside a silky sweet potato purée. The dish is a meeting of origins and experience, where the flavours of home evolve through the people encountered along the way.
The wine pairing extends this sense of continuity. Sommelier Matthew introduces Domaine Champalou’s Vouvray Les Fondraux (Loire Valley, 2022), produced by Catherine and Céline Champalou, who continue a 12-generation family tradition of women winemakers. The pairing feels particularly fitting: a dish shaped by one woman’s upbringing alongside a wine whose own story has been carried forward through generations of women.
At this point, Romy pauses proceedings to thank her team. She brings them into the dining room to receive a rousing round of applause, making a point of acknowledging everyone, from her sous chefs to the kitchen porters and pot washers. It is a simple but affecting gesture, offering a glimpse into the ethos behind the menu. While each dish tells part of Romy’s story, its realisation depends on the collective effort of the people around her.
Just as the room settles, the energy rises once more. The drummers return, drawing guests back to their feet as conversation gives way to dancing. A seasonal pumpkin sorbet arrives to reset the palate, its coolness and subtle spice clearing the way for the smoky intensity of the charcoal tandoor.
The Mains: Fire, Spice and the Art of Sharing
The scent of charcoal reaches the table before the lamb does. Thick, tender chops, their surfaces deeply charred, arrive on an artisanal ceramic plate alongside celeriac purée, pickled onions and a ramekin of avocado chutney. Beneath the smoky crust lies 48 hours of preparation: the lamb is marinated in yoghurt, ground spices, chillies and curry oil, then naturally tenderised using raw papaya and mango enzymes before meeting the heat of the charcoal tandoor.
The first bite delivers smoke and spice, followed by the richness of succulent lamb. Toasted fennel and cumin bring warmth to the celeriac purée, while the creamy avocado chutney and sharp pickled onions cut through the meat’s richness. Each element has a purpose, complementing rather than competing with the depth of the lamb.
The accompanying Tapanappa Foggy Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir (South Australia, 2022) is an equally considered choice. From a 100% female-led estate, the wine is light-bodied and elegant, complementing the char and spice without overwhelming either. Its restraint allows the smokiness to linger, continuing the evening’s subtle celebration of women shaping the world of wine.
From the precision of the individual lamb dish, the experience shifts into something more communal. Butter chicken, daal, rice and naan arrive together, inviting everyone to share in a family-style feast. The butter chicken is tender and chargrilled in the tandoor, enveloped in a velvety tomato and cashew sauce. Slow-cooked daal offers a creamy counterpoint, while the basmati rice provides a fragrant base. The naan is a particular highlight: soft within, crisp at the edges, brushed with ghee and lightly blistered by the heat.
A fresh kachumber of cucumber, tomato and onion brings brightness to the table. Alongside it, house mango chutney and fresh chillies. The latter deliver serious heat, making the cooling chutney and crisp salad all the more welcome.
Beneath the comfort of these familiar dishes lies a quiet discipline. Every spice blend is made in-house from raw ingredients, giving each dish its own character, while the chutneys are freshly ground each morning.
The Desserts: A Sweet Farewell
For the final course, guests can choose between two desserts, each offering its own interpretation of sweetness and spice. The first is a slice of milk-soaked sponge, light and tender beneath piped peaks of airy fennel and cardamom mousse. Crushed green pistachios and dried rose petals bring colour and fragrance, while a delicate, bubble-textured sugar tuile adds an architectural flourish. Ice cream sits alongside, before a rich sauce is poured tableside, soaking into the sponge while the mousse retains its airy form.
The second is a whole poached pear, tender and scented with warm black cardamom. Standing upright with its natural stem intact, it is finished with an amber saffron glaze and accompanied by a shard of tuile, microgreens and bright yellow saffron ice cream, served on a bed of toasted biscuit crumble. The presentation is understated yet striking. Both desserts are divine and perfectly sweet without being overly sickly.
The pairing is Poiré ‘Granit’ by Eric Bordelet (Normandy, 2022). Made by the former sommelier using traditional methods, the perry draws on pears from biodynamic orchards, including trees said to be around 300 years old. The fruit’s concentration lends the drink character, while its fine effervescence offers a refreshing counterpoint to the desserts’ richness.
The evening concludes with Firdaus, a tea infusion by Anandini Himalaya Tea. Its name translates from Urdu as “heaven” or “paradise”, inspired by the serene landscapes of Kashmir. Green tea is steeped with Kashmiri saffron, cardamom, marigold and pink cockscomb, creating a mellow, aromatic finish that echoes the warm spices of the desserts. Each sip leaves a delicate floral sweetness, bringing the evening to a gentle close.
For Romy, family is the foundation of everything, from the memories woven into individual recipes to the à la carte menu named after her daughters. That same spirit extends beyond the table, reflected in her appreciation of the team behind each dish and in wine pairings that celebrate female-led producers. Neemat, a word also associated with blessing, generosity and gratitude, the menu brings these ideas together in a celebration of the people, places and traditions that have shaped Romy’s life. This marks her return to a permanent restaurant kitchen after six years, and it is a reminder that the most memorable meals offer more than a taste of somewhere. They offer a glimpse into the lives that have brought them to the table.
@thepemrestauarnt | @romygill
22-28 Broadway, London SWH OBH
