Michelin-lauded chef Vineet Bhatia to open a new restaurant in Abu Dhabi

The culinary legend will be bringing a branch of his renowned Rasoi eatery to the capital

Michelin-starred chef Vineet Bhatia is opening a restaurant at Jumeirah at Etihad Towers. Rex

Famed chef Vineet Bhatia is opening a new restaurant in Abu Dhabi.

The first Indian chef to earn two Michelin stars will open a branch of his renowned Rasoi eatery at Jumeirah at Etihad Towers. While there has been no opening date announced as of yet, he has taken to social media to post updates about the progress of the new restaurant.

It currently looks to be in the early stages of coming together:

Even though this is his first restaurant in the capital, Bhatia is no stranger to the UAE. He already has two eateries in Dubai: Indego by Vineet at Grosvenor House Dubai which opened in 2005 and Indya by Vineet at Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort & Spa which opened back in January. He also has locations in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Overall, he’s opened more than 25 restaurants across the world in his career.

Bhatia was born in Mumbai in 1967. In 2001, he received a Michelin star for his London restaurant Zaika. Three years after Zaika bagged the Michelin accolade, he went on to open Rasoi in a 100-year-old Chelsea townhouse. The now-defunct restaurant was also awarded a Michelin star.

His acclaim from the prestigious restaurant ratings system, which does not currently exist in the UAE, has never guided Bhatia's choices in the kitchen, though.

"Don't forget, it's good to have Michelin stars in the country, but it's also a curse," he told The National earlier in the year. "It's a curse for the restaurant and a chef because the pressure is immense."

He also added: "I’ve never cooked for the guides. We got the stars and accolades purely for what we have done and been consistent in over the years. You don’t open a restaurant to get stars.”