ELLE Gourmet Exclusive: Home, Heritage, And The Taste of Memory, Ikk Panjab’s Warm Retreat In Gurugram

In a city like Gurugram, where the skyline rises in glass and concrete and every corner hums with bustling cafés and high-energy bars designed to fuel the office rush, it’s rare to find a place that invites you to simply slow down. A space that doesn’t demand your attention but quietly earns it—where the clinking of glasses gives way to conversation, and the air carries the warmth of an old colonial home.

At Ikk Panjab, the pace softens. The energy shifts from post-work revelry to something more grounded—an experience shaped by memories, a feeling of abundance, and the flavours of a land undivided. Here, the food tells the stories of home kitchens and forgotten recipes, while the cocktail programme leans into seasonality. It draws inspiration from the produce and culinary traditions of the region. It’s the kind of place where your guard comes down, stories flow, and for once, time feels generous.

A Home Reimagined 

The interiors mirror that sentiment. Ikk Panjab's Gurugram outlet takes cues from the glorious living room it established in Connaught Circus in Delhi, to a more expansive home with a bageecha at the centre in Chandigarh. In Gurugram, the focus is on creating every corner that tells a story—a map pointing out the old residences that once belonged to the grandparents of Rajan Sethi, the proprietor of Bright Hospitality. This is the recreation of one of the homes: that of a well-travelled, retired colonel.

Here, old family photographs, worn textures and earthy tones come together to create a space that feels timeless and welcoming. His wife and cofounder, Deepika Sethi, says, “The idea was to create a space that felt like walking into a home, where you leave your worries behind and are embraced by the comfort of loved ones."

Throughout the space, vintage heirlooms sit alongside eclectic artefacts collected from travels, each telling its own quiet story. Vibrant accents meet understated details, evoking the spirit of a Punjabi household where hospitality, memory and pride intertwine seamlessly. Interestingly, the heartbeat here is the Trophy Bar.

The space itself transforms with the day. At lunch service, French windows dressed in lace curtains let in a soft, natural glow, casting warmth across the room. As evening falls, the mood deepens as flickering, old-school candles set the mood across tables, and the vintage Hitkari crockery makes for a great conversation starter. Just like many other fine dining peers, Ikk Panjab is a story of delicate intimacy: inviting its patrons to truly savour the destination.

Nostalgia On A plate 

Anchored by a striking island bar, this is a statement centrepiece that invites guests to settle in and stay awhile. The bar programme, designed by Bright Hospitality’s Grace Muivah and Sushil Pant, draws from Punjab’s seasons and native ingredients. Six signature cocktails sit alongside a refined collection of classics—each one seeking to be a link to a certain mood of the land, and its produce.

The Jamun Patrol, for instance, is a bold, refreshing mix of tequila, jamun, basil, jalapeno, honey and lime. It brings summer to the glass. The Jasmine Parade, with gin, bela flower cordial and a hint of citrus, feels light, floral and unmistakably familiar. They’re drinks designed for long conversations, best enjoyed alongside hearty, soul-satisfying meals.

In the kitchen, head chef Naresh Kotwal leads a team that has crafted a menu both deeply researched and emotionally rooted. Through Ikk Panjab’s evolution, it's clear that the culinary narratives that the dishes tell patrons are not just stories—they mean something to everyone from the land: an unseen experience here, a sudden gush of familiarity there.

The details reveal themselves slowly. Dishes like aloo vadiyan, rarely seen on restaurant menus, echo a story that everyone from the region has heard time and again: simple, bold and rooted in tradition. The chikkad chole from Lahore: rustic chickpeas simmered gently with turmeric, salt and ginger, finished with a dollop of ghee, is best paired with the restaurant's pillowy khameeri roti. The Sindhi khatti masar dal pays tribute to the Sindhi community: a quiet acknowledgement of lives uprooted during partition, their culinary stories now woven into Punjab’s larger tapestry. Of course, there’s also maah ki dal: earthy, luscious, comforting, free from the cream-laden indulgence that so often masquerades as tradition across many other restaurants that offer to sell a similar story.

For non-vegetarians, from gosht Beliram and desi chicken curry to Lahori sajji, aata chicken and a butter chicken that favours balance over sweetness, chef Kotwal's expertise is on full show in an example of both technique and time-honoured recipes.

Then, come the desserts: classics that are an instant favourite among one and all. On show are creamy kheer, delicate sevaiyaan, slow-cooked phirni, and come winter, an assortment of rich, comforting halwas that evoke the warmth of home kitchens.

But, tradition here meets a playful, modern twist. Alongside these familiar favourites, the restaurant offers hand-churned gelatos, reimagined with a distinctly desi soul. Flavours like gur, roasted badam, rum and raisins bring a quiet indulgence to the table, blending the familiar with the unexpected.

To sum up, the experience here is that of nostalgia, but fused with the modern in-demand ethos of fine dining. Ikk Panjab offers a window into the region’s complex culinary identity: shaped by migration, Partition, resilience and celebration. Recipes on display here have travelled through royal courts, city streets, village kitchens and community langars, to reappear here: lovingly preserved and gently reimagined.

In a city built on speed, Ikk Panjab is a haven for those searching for a few moments of peace over food. It is a place where the stories linger, flavours seek to dole out comfort, and the chaos of Gurugram feels, if only for a while, worlds away.