Experimental Indian Restaurant Brand Farzi Café Is Moving into St. James’s

The Indian restaurant chain Farzi Café has acquired a site in London, for what will be the brand’s second international outpost. As well as seven sites in India, Farzi — which is owned by the group Massive Restaurants — has a single site in Dubai.

According to MCA, Farzi will open on the site formerly occupied by the Italian casual chain Prezzo, at number 8 Haymarket, close to Piccadilly Circus, in central London. Eater London has since learned that the site will open summer 2018, likely in June.

Farzi is known for its modern interpretation of Indian cuisine, where “it amalgamates traditional global and Indian classics, with Indian influences.” The sites are described as “quirky, chic, modern” in which “culinary art meets the alchemy of modern presentations and cooking techniques like molecular gastronomy to absorb the guest into the ultimate gastronomic illusion.”

Massive Restaurants was founded by the so-called “prince of Indian cuisine,” Zorawar Kalra, in 2012. As well as Farzi, his company operates four other brands: the “premium fine-dining” Masala Library by Jiggs Kalra (Zorawar’s father); “smart-casual dining” Made in Punjab; and the “modern pan-Asian bistro concepts” Pa Pa Ya, and MasalaBar.

An ambitious-sounding sixth concept, KODE, described as a “cuisine agnostic modern ‘freestyle’ Bar & Kitchen, offering a post-modern, post molecular dining experience...endeavouring to revolutionise and re-invent modern global cuisine in a new Freestyle avatar,” is also on the slate for launch in the near future.

It is not yet known when the London outpost of Farzi Café will open. Stay tuned for more news.