The TIHG Reporter for The Ideal Home and Garden brings you Colonel Saab, London; where dining transforms into a story of memory, luxury, and design.
In the heart of London’s Trafalgar Square, an Indian restaurant is quietly rewriting what fine dining can feel like. Colonel Saab, designed by Tushar Pravin Joshi of Utkarsh Vastukaran Design Studio, is not just about food, it’s about heritage retold through design.
The project was commissioned by entrepreneur Roop Pratap Choudhary, inspired by the travel diaries of his parents, Colonel Manbeer and Mrs. Binny Choudhary. Their journeys across India, filled with artefacts, memories, and stories, now form the soul of the restaurant.
From the moment you enter, the mood is set, the ambience reveals itself. Old jazz sets the mood while museum-worthy Indian artwork, handpicked antiques, and textured finishes unfold like chapters of a story. Every detail feels intentional: Khim Khwab fabrics, Zardozi embroidery, brass-and-glass lighting – all seamlessly layered into a contemporary setting.
The showstopper is an 18th-century teak temple door from the Gujarat-Rajasthan border. Pair this with crystal chandeliers cascading above the grab-and-go section, and you have a space where grandeur feels natural, not forced.
Joshi describes his design ethos as “Nobility and Luxury,” and Colonel Saab brings that vision alive. It’s a restaurant that doesn’t just serve a meal, it serves a memory. A place where heritage and modernity dine together, leaving guests with an experience that lingers long after the last bite.
By blending heritage with modern elegance, Colonel Saab has created something rare: a dining space that feels personal, layered, and timeless. A little bit of India, transported to London, and reinterpreted with a global eye.
Would you step in first for the ambience or the cuisine?
Why The Ideal Home and Garden Loves This Project
- Rooted in the owners’ stories’, the restaurant turns dining into a cultural experience, layered with their artefacts and memories.
- The balance it brings with heritage and modernity meet effortlessly, never forced.
- The details of the 18th century teak door and crystal chandeliers set the tone, without overwhelming the space.
- Rich textiles and handcrafted finishes give every corner a sense of warmth and identity.
