The chef’s first restaurant will open in Clapham this May.

Great British Menu winner Nikita Pathakji is preparing to open her first restaurant. MAAI will launch in Clapham, South London, on Wednesday, 20 May 2026, marking a major milestone for the chef, who has built a reputation for bold flavours, refined technique and deeply personal cooking.

The new restaurant will be a family affair. Nikita will be joined by her mother, Rima, and sister, Isha, who will both play important roles in shaping the experience. Together, they will create a restaurant that reflects Nikita’s heritage, her professional training and the way her family likes to eat.

MAAI will take over the former Brook site on Abbeville Road, bringing a fresh dining destination to one of South London’s most charming neighbourhoods. The menu will draw on Nikita’s cultural background while championing seasonal British produce. Expect expressive dishes with layered influences, presented through the lens of modern British dining.

Several dishes already come with serious culinary credentials. The menu will include the Octopus ‘Tako Yaki’ Doughnut, a dish Nikita cooked on MasterChef: The Professionals in 2022, the year she won the competition. Guests can also look forward to Seared Halibut with Malaysian Fish Head Curry, the dish that helped her secure the Champion of Champions title on Great British Menu.

The drinks list will be led by Nikita’s sister, Isha. Cocktails will include the MAAI Colada, Butter Popcorn Old Fashioned and Salted Melon Daiquiri, adding a playful, personal touch to the restaurant’s offering.

Nikita’s CV includes time in some of the UK’s most respected kitchens, including Bibendum by Claude Bosi, Core by Clare Smyth and Kitchen W8. She has also made her name as a private chef, hosting sold-out supper clubs across London.

Speaking about the opening, Nikita said: "My training has been in Michelin-starred kitchens, but the food at MAAI reflects how we truly like to eat; bold, expressive dishes influenced by the cultures and cuisines that have shaped us, and by the diversity of London itself. This is our take on modern British dining: personal, ingredient-led, and rooted in family."

Where: MAAI, 33–35 Abbeville Road, Clapham, London, SW4 9LA

When: Opens 20 May 2026

Contact: https://restaurantmaai.com