West Kent Local News
Chef Atul Kochhar, whose Essence Wrotham restaurant is set to open in Wrotham Heath on 27 October (file photo, cropped from the original). Image credit: Bruno Cordioli for CIBVS / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Michelin-Starred Chef Atul Kochhar Set to Open Restaurant in Wrotham Heath
A second Kent restaurant from twice Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar is on its way to Wrotham Heath, with Essence Wrotham due to open on London Road on 27 October.
A big name for West Kent
Atul Kochhar was the first Indian chef to win a Michelin star in the UK, awarded at Tamarind in Mayfair in 2001, and won a second at his own restaurant, Benares, in 2007. He's since become a familiar face on BBC's Saturday Kitchen and ITV's James Martin Saturday Morning. His restaurant group already has a presence in Tunbridge Wells - Essence at The Pantiles, on the site of the former Woods Restaurant & Bar, has been serving pan-Indian fine dining since 2024 - and Wrotham Heath will be his second Kent restaurant overall, and his first in the borough of Tonbridge and Malling.
What to expect
Essence Wrotham is expected to follow the format of Kochhar's other Essence restaurants, built around pan-Indian menus with a contemporary British touch, alongside à la carte, set and tasting menu options. Full details of the Wrotham Heath site's opening hours and menu had not been published at the time of writing.
Source: Atul Kochhar
