Bhatia to open in Moscow

Indian chef Vineet Bhatia is widening his sphere of influence with a new restaurant opening in Russia this summer. Agni, which means sacred flame in both Russian and Hindi, will open in July in the centre of Moscow.

Bhatia said he chose Moscow for his latest venture because "the Russians are splendid eaters and drinkers".

Head chef at the new operation is Ravi Deulkar, who has worked with Bhatia for more than 14 years. "The kitchens are on the roof, with lots of natural light coming in," said Bhatia. Agni will seat 55 in the ground-floor bar and 110 in the first-floor dining room.

June will see another Bhatia-led restaurant opening - Indego, in Dubai. There are also plans for a Vineet Bhatia product range, due to hit supermarket shelves in October.

Bhatia arrived in London in 1993 and worked for seven years in Indian restaurants before becoming head chef at Chelsea restaurant Zaika in 1999. The chef's first solo venture, Rasoi Vineet Bhatia in Sloane Square, opened to critical acclaim last year.

The chef also works with Safran in Mauritius and Tantra in Los Angeles.

Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 14 April 2005