With Gymkhana set to open its doors in Dubai on September 1, Chef Rahul Rana shares how he has built a new kitchen team, adapted the London restaurant’s offering for Dubai, and preserved its identity in a new market
Known to Dubai’s dining scene for leading Michelin-starred Avatara, Rahul’s approach to food was shaped long before his career in the UAE by stories of his grandfather cooking for Indian maharajas. It was an early lesson that “food has the power to bring people together”, and one that continues to guide how he creates experiences for guests today.
Ahead of the launch, we sat down with Rahul to talk about the responsibility of introducing Gymkhana’s legacy to a new market, how he’s building a team to meet that expectation, and what Dubai diners can expect to find on the menu when the doors finally open.
How do you go about building and training a new kitchen team for a brand with this level of expectation attached to it?
I focus on creating a culture built on continuous learning, ensuring every chef understands not just the recipe but the story behind each dish. With a brand like Gymkhana, the entire team must understand what makes the restaurant special and feel connected to what we’re creating together.
Strong foundations are everything. Once the team masters Gymkhana’s standards and techniques, they gain the confidence to execute every service with precision. For me, it is also about creating an environment where everyone continues to develop and take pride in what they put on the plate.
How do you keep Gymkhana’s identity consistent while adapting to a new city and audience?
Gymkhana’s identity is rooted in authentic Indian flavours, traditional techniques, generous food and exceptional hospitality. Those fundamentals never change and are incredibly important to protect as we introduce Gymkhana to a new audience.
We follow an 80/20 approach, with around 80% of the menu carrying Gymkhana’s core London DNA, while 20% allows us to respond to Dubai’s local tastes and ingredients. It means guests still experience the Gymkhana they know and love, while leaving room for Dubai to develop its own signatures and something new to discover.
How does sourcing for Gymkhana in Dubai compare to sourcing in London?
Every market presents different opportunities and challenges when it comes to sourcing, which sets our focus on finding the right ingredients to deliver the depth, balance and consistency of flavour that define Gymkhana.
Some ingredients need to be carefully sourced internationally, while Dubai also allows us to explore ingredients and preferences specific to the region. Ultimately, wherever we are cooking, quality and consistency remain the priority.
What does opening Gymkhana’s first UAE outpost mean to you personally?
Having spent years cooking in Dubai, it’s incredibly rewarding to introduce one of the world’s most celebrated Indian restaurants to a city that has embraced my own culinary journey. Dubai has played such an important role in my career, so being part of Gymkhana’s first UAE outpost makes this opening particularly special to me.
Dubai has an incredibly knowledgeable audience when it comes to food, which makes opening here exciting. It’s an opportunity to celebrate India’s rich culinary heritage while contributing to a dining scene that already has such a deep appreciation and understanding of the cuisine.
Are there any dishes on the Dubai menu created specifically for this location?
Alongside Gymkhana London’s signature favourites, the Dubai menu will include exclusive dishes created specifically for this location, including the Makhmali King Crab with Malai Pyaaz and Wagyu Beef Sukka with Bone Marrow. These sit alongside the classics, allowing guests to experience the Gymkhana they know while discovering something unique to Dubai.
Every new addition has been developed to complement Gymkhana’s existing menu rather than reinvent it. The aim is for these dishes to feel unmistakably Gymkhana while allowing Dubai to build its own signatures and memories around the restaurant.
What do you hope Dubai diners take away from their first Gymkhana experience?
I hope guests leave with a deeper appreciation for the richness and refinement of Indian cuisine, and the incredible depth of flavour and tradition behind every dish. There is so much to Indian cuisine, and being able to share that with diners is something I am very passionate about.
More than anything, I want guests to experience the warmth and generosity that sit at the heart of Gymkhana. It should feel refined but never overly formal, a place centred around great food and genuine hospitality that people want to return to again and again.
What advice would you give a young Indian chef trying to build a career in Dubai’s restaurant scene right now?
Stay grounded in your roots while remaining open to learning from different cultures, techniques and experiences. Dubai is an incredibly diverse city, and there is so much you can learn from the people you encounter here.
Focus on discipline, curiosity, patience, consistency and mastering the fundamentals. Those qualities will always take you further. Keep learning, stay passionate about what you do and never lose sight of the traditions and experiences that shaped you as a chef.
Where do you see Indian fine dining in the region heading over the next few years?
The region is ready for authentic, refined Indian restaurants, and as diners become more adventurous, I think there will be increasing demand for experiences that honour the depth of Indian cuisine.
There is already so much sophistication in its techniques, spices and depth of flavour, and I believe we will continue to see greater appreciation for that across the region.
