About Us

Darjeeling Express started as a dinner for 12 guests at home, serving Indian food lovingly cooked from family recipes that go back to generations.

The food is a true homage to my royal Mughlai ancestry and the busy streets of Calcutta, where I grew up. What results is a lovely mélange of street food like channa chaat and slow-cooked tamatar gosht, which takes you on a journey from Calcutta in the east of India to Hyderabad in the south. Food here is served the way Indian food is meant to be eaten – platters of dishes boasting texture and flavours which complement each other, encouraging you to gather and share in the style of the traditional ‘daawat’ (feast).

An all-women team of housewives runs the kitchen at Darjeeling Express, and have been doing so from day one. What you will taste is home-style food, cooked with passion and the aim to nourish your body and soul.

Asma Khan

Asma Khan is one of the UK and India’s brightest culinary stars. An award-winning chef, best-selling cookbook author and the owner of London’s famed Darjeeling Express restaurant. She sits on the Mayor’s Business Advisory Board and is an Honorary Fellow at Oxford University. Asma is the first British chef to be profiled in Netflix’s Emmy nominated Chef’s Table and the first chef to be featured on Vogue’s list of 25 most influential women. She has become one of the the UK’s most prominent female chefs and her restaurant, a favourite amongst Hollywood’s A-list entertainers. Best known for her all-female kitchen team and her commitment to social change, Asma is an unstoppable force in the hospitality industry and beyond.

From the Press

Michelin Guide

"Darjeeling Express is the definition of honest, traditional Indian food. Conjuring the ambience of a home-cooked dinner enjoyed with your nearest and dearest, the all-women kitchen team at Darjeeling Express lovingly create a multitude of flavours and textures served on sharing platters, with recipes drawing influence from the length and breadth of India."

Sadiq Khan

“Since opening its doors to Londoners, under [Asma Khan]'s leadership, Darjeeling Express has been one of London's culinary highlights.”

Eater London

“The flavours are like a culinary orchestra.”

Anna Mah, The New York Times

“Humble British vegetables shine in dishes like the beetroot chop, a croquette of mashed beets that balances spice and earthy sweetness. Beets also lend their rich color and flavor to raita, staining the cooling yogurt sauce bright pink. A pile of tender baby eggplants hummed with the striking flavors of peanut and coconut.”