Atul Kochhar is the Indian-British chef widely credited as the first Indian-born chef to earn a Michelin star, awarded at Tamarind in Mayfair in 2001. Born 7 October 1969 in Jamshedpur in the Jharkhand state of eastern India, Kochhar trained at the Oberoi School of Hotel Management in New Delhi and moved to London in 1994. His flagship Benares in Mayfair earned a Michelin star in 2007, making Kochhar one of only two Indian-born chefs with two separate Michelin stars in the United Kingdom across his career. As of the 2026 Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland, his current restaurants across London and the Home Counties include Kanishka in Mayfair, Yaatra in Westminster, Sindhu and Vaasu in Marlow, Riwaz in Beaconsfield, Masalchi in Wembley Park, and Indian Essence in Petts Wood.
Kochhar’s 2026 portfolio includes Yaatra in Westminster, the new restaurant featured in the 2026 Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland, and the continuing Kanishka Mayfair flagship. He hosts regular high-end tasting events and Indian-regional showcase dinners through 2025 and 2026 and has been active in industry leadership events including a 2025 regional Indian cuisine feature. The wider portfolio of seven+ restaurants across London and the Home Counties makes Kochhar one of the largest Indian chef-owned restaurant groups in the United Kingdom alongside Vikas Khanna‘s New York-centred group.
TL;DR
- Indian-British chef born 7 October 1969 in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, India
- Trained at the Oberoi School of Hotel Management in New Delhi
- First Indian-born chef to earn a Michelin star (Tamarind Mayfair, 2001)
- Second Michelin star at Benares Mayfair in 2007
- 2026 UK restaurant group: Kanishka Mayfair; Yaatra Westminster; Sindhu and Vaasu Marlow; Riwaz Beaconsfield; Masalchi Wembley Park; Indian Essence Petts Wood
- 2026 Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland features Yaatra Westminster
Atul Kochhar key facts
| Born | 7 October 1969, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, India |
| Nationality | Indian-British |
| Training | Oberoi School of Hotel Management, New Delhi; Oberoi hotels; Tamarind Mayfair |
| Historic achievement | First Indian-born chef to earn a Michelin star (Tamarind Mayfair, 2001) |
| Flagship | Kanishka, Mayfair, London |
| 2026 restaurants | Kanishka; Yaatra Westminster; Sindhu Marlow; Vaasu Marlow; Riwaz Beaconsfield; Masalchi Wembley Park; Indian Essence Petts Wood |
| Michelin stars | Tamarind Mayfair (2001; while executive chef); Benares Mayfair (2007; while chef-owner) |
Early life and training of Atul Kochhar
Kochhar was born on 7 October 1969 in Jamshedpur, a large industrial city in the Jharkhand state of eastern India. His father was a catering contractor, and Kochhar grew up in and around the family catering business, an environment he has said in multiple interviews that shaped his earliest culinary memories. The regional foodways of Jharkhand and neighbouring Bihar, including litti chokha and traditional rice-and-lentil preparations from the family kitchen, would remain reference points in his later Indian regional cookery.
Kochhar enrolled at the Oberoi School of Hotel Management in New Delhi, one of India’s premier hospitality schools, and graduated in the early 1990s. He then worked across the Oberoi hotel group in India through the early 1990s, training in multiple regional Indian cookery traditions and reaching senior chef positions by his early twenties. In 1994 at age 24 he moved to London to join the kitchen at Tamarind, the new Indian fine-dining restaurant on Queen Street in Mayfair.
Kochhar became executive chef at Tamarind in the late 1990s, and in 2001 Tamarind earned one Michelin star in the Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland, with Kochhar in the kitchen. The 2001 award made Kochhar the first Indian-born chef to earn a Michelin star, a historic first that is still widely cited in the Indian restaurant industry internationally. He left Tamarind in 2003 to open his own restaurant, and in 2003 he opened Benares on Berkeley Square in Mayfair. Benares earned its own Michelin star in 2007, giving Kochhar two separate Michelin-starred restaurants across his career.
Atul Kochhar career timeline
- 7 October 1969: Born in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, India
- Early 1990s: Graduates from Oberoi School of Hotel Management, New Delhi
- Early 1990s: Works across Oberoi hotel group in India
- 1994: Moves to London at age 24 to join Tamarind Mayfair
- Late 1990s: Becomes executive chef at Tamarind
- 2001: Tamarind earns Michelin star in the Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland; Kochhar first Indian-born chef to earn a Michelin star
- 2003: Leaves Tamarind; opens Benares on Berkeley Square in Mayfair
- 2007: Benares earns Michelin star (Kochhar’s second Michelin-starred restaurant)
- 2009: Opens Sindhu at Compleat Angler in Marlow
- 2011: Co-founds the London Indian restaurant cookbook project Indian Essence
- 2015: Opens Indian Essence in Petts Wood
- 2018: Opens Kanishka in Mayfair as new London flagship
- 2020: Opens Riwaz in Beaconsfield during the pandemic
- 2021: Leaves Benares (the restaurant later closes); Kanishka becomes the Mayfair flagship
- 2022: Opens Masalchi in Wembley Park
- 2023: Opens Vaasu in Marlow alongside Sindhu
- 2024: Opens Yaatra in Westminster
- 2025: Featured in industry events for regional Indian cuisine work; hosts high-end tasting events at Kanishka
- 2026 Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland: Yaatra Westminster featured; Kochhar restaurants remain part of the London Indian fine-dining conversation
Atul Kochhar signature style: Indian regional cuisine at London fine-dining level
Kochhar’s central argument, developed at Tamarind from 1994 and refined across more than three decades in London, is that Indian regional cookery, from the Awadhi and Mughlai traditions of the north to the coastal Goan and Keralan cookery of the south, can sit at the top of UK fine dining when presented with serious technique and ingredient sourcing. The 2001 Tamarind Michelin star and the 2007 Benares Michelin star demonstrated the approach at the highest London fine-dining level, and the subsequent 7+ restaurant group has extended the argument across multiple London and Home Counties locations.
The second defining element is the multi-venue restaurant group. Kochhar’s 2026 portfolio of Kanishka, Yaatra, Sindhu, Vaasu, Riwaz, Masalchi and Indian Essence together form one of the largest Indian chef-owned restaurant groups in the United Kingdom. The group operates across a range of price points and regional Indian cuisine focuses, from the fine-dining Kanishka Mayfair to the more casual Masalchi Wembley Park. The model is closer to the group model of UK peers like Gordon Ramsay than to single-restaurant chef models.
The third pillar is the historic first-Indian-chef Michelin star role. Kochhar’s 2001 Tamarind star was the first Michelin star ever awarded to an Indian-born chef globally, a first that continues to be cited in the Indian restaurant industry internationally. Within the current Indian chef cohort in the UK, Kochhar sits alongside Vikas Khanna (Bungalow New York) and Ranveer Brar (Bungalow Watertown Boston) as one of the defining figures of Indian chefs internationally, though Kochhar’s career has been primarily UK-based rather than US.
Notable Atul Kochhar dishes
Several Kochhar dishes have become reference points in UK Indian fine dining. The Kanishka lamb biryani with slow-cooked lamb and traditional dum layering, the Benares black cod with tandoor spices (from the 2003-2021 Benares era), and the Sindhu coastal Goan fish curry are long-running signatures. At Yaatra Westminster the menu showcases pan-Indian regional dishes with a particular focus on lesser-known regional traditions. Kochhar cookbooks include Atul’s Curries of the World (2012), 30 Minute Curries (2016), and Atul’s Indian Essence (2018). His long-running appearances on UK cookery programmes including BBC Great British Menu and ITV’s Saturday Kitchen have extended the public profile.
Atul Kochhar awards and recognition
- 2001: Tamarind Mayfair earns Michelin star (first Indian-born chef to earn a Michelin star globally)
- 2003: Opens Benares on Berkeley Square, Mayfair
- 2007: Benares earns Michelin star (Kochhar’s second Michelin-starred restaurant)
- 2009: Opens Sindhu at Compleat Angler in Marlow
- 2018: Opens Kanishka in Mayfair
- 2020: Opens Riwaz in Beaconsfield
- 2022: Opens Masalchi in Wembley Park
- 2023: Opens Vaasu in Marlow
- 2024: Opens Yaatra in Westminster
- 2025: Featured in UK industry events for regional Indian cuisine work
- 2026 Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland: Yaatra Westminster featured
- Multiple appearances on BBC Great British Menu, ITV Saturday Kitchen and other UK cookery programmes
Atul Kochhar impact on UK Indian fine dining
Kochhar’s most concrete contribution is the 2001 Tamarind Michelin star, which made him the first Indian-born chef to earn a Michelin star globally and transformed the public perception of Indian fine dining in the United Kingdom. Before 2001, Indian cuisine in the UK was primarily associated with the high-street curry-house register and had never been recognised at Michelin level. The 2001 star at Tamarind and the 2007 star at Benares together established Indian fine dining as a legitimate Michelin-level category in London, and Kochhar is widely credited with opening the door for the generation of Indian chefs who have earned Michelin stars in the UK since.
The second contribution is the multi-venue restaurant group. With seven+ restaurants across London and the Home Counties as of 2026, the Kochhar group is one of the largest Indian chef-owned restaurant portfolios in the United Kingdom. The group operates across a range of price points and regional Indian cuisines, extending the Kochhar argument about Indian regional cookery into multiple London and Home Counties neighbourhoods.
The third contribution is the training-kitchen legacy. Through more than three decades in London Indian kitchens, Kochhar has trained a cohort of UK Indian chefs who have gone on to their own restaurants and Michelin recognition. Within the current Indian chef cohort internationally, Kochhar sits alongside Vikas Khanna (Bungalow NYC), Ranveer Brar (Bungalow Watertown Boston), and Gaggan Anand (Gaggan Bangkok) as defining figures in contemporary Indian fine dining internationally.
Atul Kochhar FAQ
Was Kochhar the first Indian chef to earn a Michelin star?
Yes. Kochhar is widely credited as the first Indian-born chef to earn a Michelin star globally, awarded at Tamarind in Mayfair in the 2001 Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland while he was executive chef. The first-Indian-chef distinction continues to be cited as a defining career moment and a historic first in the Indian restaurant industry.
How many restaurants does Kochhar operate?
Seven+ restaurants across London and the Home Counties as of 2026: Kanishka in Mayfair (flagship), Yaatra in Westminster, Sindhu and Vaasu in Marlow, Riwaz in Beaconsfield, Masalchi in Wembley Park, and Indian Essence in Petts Wood. The portfolio makes Kochhar one of the largest Indian chef-owned restaurant groups in the United Kingdom.
What happened to Benares?
Benares, the Michelin-starred Kochhar restaurant on Berkeley Square in Mayfair, operated from 2003 to 2021 under Kochhar’s leadership. Kochhar left Benares in 2021 and the restaurant later closed. Kanishka in Mayfair, which Kochhar had opened in 2018 as a second Mayfair venue, became the London flagship after the Benares exit.
Where did Kochhar train?
At the Oberoi School of Hotel Management in New Delhi, one of India’s premier hospitality schools. He then worked across the Oberoi hotel group in India through the early 1990s before moving to London in 1994 at age 24 to join Tamarind in Mayfair.
What is Yaatra?
Yaatra is the new Kochhar restaurant in Westminster, opened in 2024. The restaurant is featured in the 2026 Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland and is one of the newest additions to the Kochhar group. The menu showcases pan-Indian regional cookery with a particular focus on lesser-known regional traditions.
What is next for Atul Kochhar
Kochhar continues to lead Kanishka Mayfair, Yaatra Westminster, Sindhu and Vaasu Marlow, Riwaz Beaconsfield, Masalchi Wembley Park, and Indian Essence Petts Wood across 2026. He continues to host high-end tasting events and appear on UK cookery television. His public Instagram (@chefatulkochhar) is the best source for current updates.
