Vineet Bhatia

The Climb

Training at the Oberoi School of Hotel Management in New Delhi (1988–1990) set the terms of Vineet Bhatia’s work: precision, repetition, and the discipline of service. That foundation carried into the kitchen floor at The Oberoi, where he served as Head Chef (1990–1993), before moving abroad as Executive Chef at Star of India in South Kensington, London (from 1993). The arc from trainee to Executive Chef shows a career built through formal kitchen structure rather than shortcut or self-mythologizing, with Indian cooking carried into an international setting from the start. Growth in his career came through building restaurant identities as much as running kitchens. As co-founder at Cinnamon Club (from 1998), Head Chef at Vineet Bhatia in Hammersmith, London (from 1999), and founder at Zaika (from 1999), he worked in roles that anchored his name to restaurants in London’s competitive dining field. The next phase extended that model further: chef-owner at Rasoi in Chelsea, London (from 2004), then chef-owner at Rasoi by Vineet in Geneva, Switzerland (from 2008). Across those addresses, the throughline was not change for its own sake, but the steady translation of one cooking identity into different rooms and markets. By the 2010s, Vineet Bhatia’s work had expanded beyond service and ownership into broadcast and international restaurant work. Host at Twist of Taste with Vineet Bhatia (from 2011) placed his point of view in public view, while restaurateur at Saffron Lounge in Doha, Qatar (from 2012), restaurateur at Indego in Dubai, and restaurateur at Maharaja by Vineet in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia (from 2015) carried his name into additional cities. The pattern is consistent: a chef using the structure of restaurant openings, media, and regional presence to extend a recognisable style across borders. In 2016, founder at Vineet Bhatia London (VBL) in Chelsea, London (from 2016) brought that work back to a familiar London setting. The following roles moved further into judging, hosting, and public representation: judge of The Final Table (since 2018), judge-host of MasterChef India (since 2019), restaurateur of KAMA by Vineet (since 2019), and culinary ambassador of GREAT Britain & Northern Ireland campaign (since 2021). These positions show a career that now includes evaluation and representation alongside restaurant-making, with Vineet Bhatia positioned as both operator and spokesperson within the trade.

Today

Vineet Bhatia’s current work sits across restaurants, television, and national representation. He remains judge of The Final Table (since 2018), judge-host of MasterChef India (since 2019), restaurateur of KAMA by Vineet (since 2019), and culinary ambassador of GREAT Britain & Northern Ireland campaign (since 2021). The present-day picture is of a chef whose practice has widened from kitchen management to public-facing roles without leaving the core grammar of hospitality behind.

Signature

Vineet Bhatia’s signature dishes include Rasoi: New Indian Kitchen, My Sweet Kitchen, and KAMA by Vineet. The titles point to the range of his output: restaurant-led, recognisable, and built around the idea that a dish can carry a clear point of view without needing excess explanation.

In Their Words “Authenticity means nothing for me, honestly. What is authentic Indian food? The biryani, the samosa, and the kebab are not really Indian! They all come from Persia.” “I was very privileged and very honored to be the first Indian restaurant chef to have got the star way back in 2001.”

Recognition

Vineet Bhatia’s honors include Michelin star and Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).