The Indian restaurant in London designed by Clique Design Studio celebrates the stateliness of Lodhi Garden
If you want to try an Indian high-end restaurant in central London look no further than growing Madhu’s empire. The new restaurant at The Grove, one of the most iconic Hertfordshire countryside’s golf resorts, designed by Clique Design Studio vivifies the splendid heritage of India with colonial aesthetics of The Grove.
Madhu’s at The Grove was originally intended as a pop-up restaurant in 2021 but is now firmly established, Madhu’s has its own discreet entrance to the left of the main hotel lobby, with the dining room spread across three dining rooms plus a private room. The restaurant is part of the growing Madhu’s empire, which as well as the main wedding catering business has six restaurants.
Over four decades, Madhu’s has built a reputation for quality, dedication, creativity and flair in one of the world’s best-loved cuisines. The original is in Southall, and there are others in Heathrow, Mayfair, Richmond and at Harvey Nichols.
This time Madhu’s brings back the colonial look to the space, designers Rashi Vijan Galhotra and Aditya Galhotra of the Clique Design Studio (London) undertook the task of transforming Madhu’s (a fine dining Indian restaurant) at The Grove.
Following the brief of the client, they complemented colonial aesthetics of The Grove with the opulent heritage of India. Through their design, they weaved in elements that speak of India’s rich heritage and art while ensuring that the grandeur of the golf resort can be enjoyed on the inside.
They wanted bold, yet elegant, bright spaces that enjoy ample daylight, a strong connection to nature and an ambience that appeals to a very high-end clientele.
With this in mind, they decided to pay an ode to Delhi’s Lodhi Gardens, which was built as a home for the Mughal tombs, revived during British colonisation and eventually restored as a Historic Monument.
“We chose the material combinations, fabrics, patterns, decorative elements, furniture design and colour palettes to transport the guests to a period where royalty, colonial heritage and culture were symbiotic with the identity of The Grove,” mentions .
As per designers, the restaurant is divided into four spaces to ensure various styles and moods of dining. Since it was a listed building, they could not hang the screens from the ceiling or even drill them into the walls, so the team came up with the solution of installing a heavy freestanding room partition structure which now acted as the primary decorative element. They added a layer of ambient up-lighters, mirrors, fabrics, and curtains to visually separate the space.
Incorporating an amalgamation of various Indian architectural styles like temple shikaras and castle pedestals, they embellish the lofty walls with large murals inspired by vernacular Indian architecture.
Another layer of detailing was incorporating Jaipuri bone inlay techniques using laser cutting panels on all the joinery and side stations. These gave a tactile depth of this display of Indian craft techniques to the interiors – for all guests to touch, feel and connect with.
A unique wallpaper with golden wisteria trees and a champagne pink gradient backdrop to pay homage to Madhu’s exclusive partnership with the famous brand Laurent Perrier–coining the name ‘The Champagne Room’. The wallpaper is inspired by De Gournay’s hand-woven silk wall coverings to give a sensual and velvety feel to this exclusive room. A wallpaper inspired by peacocks dancing in the garden to be hung outside the PDR harmonises with sylvan surroundings.
Image by Uliana Grishinaa
