Thirty-five years of regional Indian cooking on St James's Street, three AA Rosettes, a week's notice — book it to impress a client.
The booking mechanics
Chutney Mary books cleanly. The fastest route is the restaurant's own reservations page at chutneymary.com, which seats parties of up to eight directly; the phone handles anything larger and any private-room request. The room is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, which spreads demand and keeps it off the impossible-table list that swallows the Mayfair Indian rooms. Plan on one to two weeks for a prime Friday or Saturday dinner, and a few days for midweek or lunch. A weekday business lunch is often bookable the same week.
For a guaranteed window, book the moment your date is fixed and add a note for anything specific: a booth in the main room, the Pukka Bar for a drink first, or a quiet corner for a conversation that matters. The kitchen at 73 St James's Street, SW1A 1PH, has handled this neighbourhood's diplomats and club members since the room moved here in 2015, so a clear note at booking is met rather than ignored.
The Michelin question, answered honestly
Before you tell a guest the room is "Michelin-starred," know that it is not. Chutney Mary is listed in the Michelin Guide but holds no star. What it does hold is three AA Rosettes, awarded in 2021, a serious mark for cooking of this depth. The Michelin star in the family belongs to Amaya, the same owners' Knightsbridge grill. None of that diminishes Chutney Mary; it turned thirty-five in 2025 and remains a reference point for regional Indian food in London. It just means you should sell it on its real credential, the cooking and the address, not a star it does not carry.
What to order
The kitchen is pan-Indian, staffed by regional chefs founder Namita Panjabi recruited to cook the food of their own regions rather than a single house style. The green chicken curry from Goa has been on the menu since 1990 and is the dish to order if you order only one. Beyond it: tandoori lobster, tandoori Japanese wagyu with bone marrow, Goan crab cakes and a jackfruit biryani that holds its own against the meat. A la carte runs from about £65 a head before wine; the eight-course Chef's Gourmet Celebration menu is £95 at dinner and is the cleanest way to feed a table that wants to be looked after rather than handed a list.
Best for impressing a client, and the deal
Book this room to impress a client for three reasons: the St James's address sits among the gentlemen's clubs and palaces that signal seniority without a word, the Pukka Bar gives you a drink and a read on the room before you sit, and the booths carry a conversation that a louder dining room would lose. It is a strong room to close a deal for the same reasons. See the London client-impressing rankings and the full Chutney Mary review for scores. The wider occasion guides cover the best restaurants to impress clients and the best rooms to close a deal.
Where Chutney Mary sits among London's Indian rooms
The St James's location puts Chutney Mary a short walk from the city's other serious Indian kitchens. Gymkhana in Mayfair holds the buzz and the harder reservation; Jamavar nearby is the polished hotel-grade option; the same family's Veeraswamy on Regent Street is the historic one, trading since 1926. Chutney Mary's edge is the easy booking and the breadth of regions on one menu. The full set is in the London dining guide, and the booking craft that applies to the harder tables is in how to get impossible restaurant reservations.
Frequently asked questions
Is Chutney Mary worth it?
Yes, if you want regional Indian cooking with range and a St James's address for an occasion rather than a quick curry. The kitchen runs chefs from across India cooking their own regions, the green chicken curry from Goa has earned its place since 1990, and the room holds three AA Rosettes. It is not cheap, with a la carte from about £65 a head, but for a client dinner or a celebration it earns the bill. See the full review for scores.
How hard is it to book Chutney Mary?
Not hard, which is part of its appeal. Book through chutneymary.com for parties up to eight, or by phone for larger groups and private rooms. The restaurant opens seven days a week for lunch and dinner, so prime Friday and Saturday tables usually need only one to two weeks, and midweek or lunch can be a few days out. Compare that with Gymkhana in Mayfair, where the same notice will not get you in.
Does Chutney Mary have a Michelin star?
No. Chutney Mary is listed in the Michelin Guide but does not hold a star. It holds three AA Rosettes, awarded in 2021, which is a genuine mark of quality. The Michelin star in the same ownership belongs to Amaya in Knightsbridge. If you are choosing a restaurant specifically to tell a guest it is starred, book Amaya instead; if you want regional range and an easier table, Chutney Mary is the better room.
What does a meal at Chutney Mary cost?
A la carte runs from about £65 a head before drinks. The eight-course Chef's Gourmet Celebration menu is £95 at dinner and is the simplest way to feed a table well without ordering dish by dish. Add wine and the bar, and a proper dinner for two lands comfortably in the £180 to £250 range. Lunch is the value entry point if you want the room and the cooking at a lower spend.
What should I order at Chutney Mary?
Start with the green chicken curry from Goa, on the menu since 1990 and the dish that defines the kitchen. Add the tandoori lobster and the Goan crab cakes for the coast, and the tandoori Japanese wagyu with marrow if the table wants something rich. The jackfruit biryani is the vegetable dish that holds its own. If you would rather not choose, the £95 Chef's Gourmet Celebration menu covers the range.
Booking mechanics, prices, awards and opening status verified against the venues and the awarding bodies as of June 2026; confirm directly before booking. Restaurants for Kings is editorial, not sponsored. Some reservation links may earn an affiliate commission, which never affects a ranking or a score.