Dastaan Leeds: The new fine-dining Indian opening this summer

15th July 2022

Categories: Food & Drink, Leeds, New Openings, What's On

The new Michelin-guide recommended restaurant is opening in North Leeds later this month.

Dastaan has been offering something quite special down south since its beginnings in 2017, but now the award-winning Indian restaurant will be finding a second home right here in Leeds.

Headed up by award-winning chefs that have taken both London and Surrey in their stride throughout their career, Nand Kishor and Sanjay Gour are promising us here in the north a taste of “Mayfair cooking at a fraction of the price” from Wednesday 27 July 2022.

Described by The Guardian as “food of the subcontinent elevated way beyond its uninspiring location – Mayfair cooking at mundane prices”, Dastaan opened in Epsom some five years ago near the capital and has since landed itself a place in the prestigious Michelin Guide, including earning and retaining a Bib Gourmand since its first year of opening.

This comes in addition to recommendations from the likes of Hardens, AA Guide, the Good Food Guide; placing in The Times’ top thirty places to have a curry and landing a spot in Squaremeals’ top 100 restaurants for 2022 just a few months ago.

Now opening a second Dastaan with a new menu, there will be ample opportunity for diners to experience a whole host of exotic flavours paired with regional specialities- each with a modern twist that is set to show Leeds exactly why the original Dastaan Epsom is worthy of its many accolades.

Acting as a culinary tapestry to showcase the best of fine-dining Indian cuisine, the Dastaan Leeds menu will offer a swoon-worthy list of a la carte dishes, such as Tellicherry Lobster Dosa, whilst also adding a tapas-style bar menu with smaller plates like chicken lollypops, pink prawns and pani puri.

Celebrated chefs Nand Kishor and Sanjay Gour have had a lifetime of cooking up at some of the biggest names in the UK. Both have been former Head Chefs at Gymkhana where Kishor’s dishes like Muntjac Biryani, Keema Pao and the Roe Deer Chops went a long way in announcing the Michelin-starred venue as Restaurant of the Year in 2015.

Meanwhile Sanjay Kishor, an accomplished pastry chef, has created bespoke desserts for events like the BAFTAs, GQ Awards and leading restaurants across the world, including with Angela Hartnett at Murano.

The menu will be paired with a collaboration with Cobra lager and well considered alcoholic drinks list with a Gin Library, vegan and organic wine options and even a cocktail menu inspired by the chef’s ingredients inside the kitchen.

Establishing relationships with local independents is an integral part of Dastaan’s reputation, and so Kishor and Gour look forward to welcoming Leeds’ own Kirkstall Brewery and local supplier House of Wine as collaborative partners.

“We were looking to open a new restaurant and Leeds is the obvious choice – the food scene here is really good. But we want to make it even better. We are bringing something new, an upmarket Indian dining experience,” says Anurag Singh, who will be responsible for Dastaan Leeds.

He added: “We don’t plan to open a chain of Dastaan restaurants all over the country. We don’t believe in mass produced food. We want to deliver something personal, that we can manage ourselves”.

With this in mind, the new menu intends to expand from the original by elevating the flavours and providing a more “upmarket” backdrop, compared to Epsom’s open kitchen.

“The restaurant itself is at a great location and looks beautiful and we can’t wait to start serving up some fantastic new dishes.”

Dastaan Leeds will open on Wednesday 27 July 2022 in Adel, but in order to allow for staff to settle in the new premises, the restaurant will only open Wednesday – Sunday for the first few weeks with limited seating.

For more information, including how to book a seat at the table for yourself, visit the Dastaan website.

Feature Image- Dastaan