Punjab Restaurant

29/05/2026

If you’ve dined here at , you may recognise this image. This is our founder, Gurbachan Singh Maan, and he opened the Punjab Restaurant 80 years ago in 1946.

Keen to see the “Great Britain” from the many stories he had heard, he first arrived in the UK by boat in 1936. Like many others he became a pedlar, and it was during his peddling days that he had met the famed revolutionary Udham Singh, and they became good friends.

Gurbachan was definitely forward thinking and progressive, and saw an opportunity to do something more for himself and for the Indian migrant community. In April 1946, he took over an existing lease of a teahouse at 5 Braham Street in Aldgate, which became known as the Punjab Restaurant and Cafe.

The demand for his traditional pressured him to relocate and the Punjab Restaurant moved and re-opened on 11th June 1951 at its present location, 80 Neal Street, Covent Garden. The premises were rented and seated just 28 people.
He lived upstairs on the first floor, in the room we now call “Grandad’s Room”, where you may even have dined. He is grandfather to Bapuji, Sardar Sital Singh Maan and Great-Grandfather to Boss Amrit Maan. Even after Bapuji officially took over the business in 1970, he remained living independently above the restaurant for as long as he could before eventually moving in with family.

Gurbachan Singh’s values and ethos have made the Punjab Restaurant in Covent Garden what it is, and they very much remain the foundation of the restaurant as it is today, as indeed do his recipes. We look forward to sharing exciting stories of this great man with you over the coming months!

29/04/2026

Last Tuesday, the British Sikh Consultative Forum (BSCF) once again held celebrations in the State Rooms at Speakers House in Westminster, with the kind permission of the Speaker of the House, Sir Lindsay Hoyle .  This year was once again hosted by Sonia Kumar MP.

had the privilege again of providing catering and refreshments, and with it being a special year for us, Bapuji, Auntyji, Uncle Jagtar were all in attendance as well as Boss .  We were honoured to hear Sir Lindsay Hoyle congratulate Punjab Restaurant on our 80th Anniversary in his address! ✨️

Thank you to all involved for putting on such a wonderful event 🙏🏽🧡

   

📷 (H'Art80)

28/04/2026

The sun was out on Sunday and even yesterday as so many runners stayed in London for a wander waearing their medals with pride! 🏃🏽‍♀️🏃🏽

A few runners joined us for dinner at , where they were given a warm welcome as they so deserve after all the months of training they put in! ✨

Congratulations to each of them and all the many others out there on an amazing job, whether they did it for an incredible cause or just for themselves as a personal challenge - it's an achievement! 👏💛

A huge shout out to Nikki Rai who couldn't makek it to the restaurant but reached out as she was running for a chaity close to many Punjabis hearts - the Unique Home for Girls, Jalandhar - we'll share the link for aher campaign in out stories if you'd like to donate!

25/04/2026

Wishing all runners taking on the the very best tomorrow!

As has become tradition here at , there's one free drink (any drink!) and 10% off the bill waiting for all of you dining with us after - just show your medal! 🏅☕🍺🥃🍷

There's so many wonderful people running this year - amongst them:

Manny Singh Kang who is going beyond the 26.2 miles and walking over 130 miles nonstop before race day as part of his marathon challenge for Dementia UK;
Gurbir Singh Parmar a.k.a. Arnie will be running the marathon once again to raise money for Symonds House in Hitchin;
Prolific runner and coach Harmander Singh, also president and co-founder of the Sikhs In The City (SITC) running club in East London - he is running this year with the late Sardar Fauja Singh daughter and great-granddaughter to raise funds for the Fauja Singh BEM Clubhouse; this year Baldev Singh is also taking on his first London Marathon at 80, also raising funds in memory of Sardar Fauja Singh.

We know there are many, many more of you out there running tomorrow too, so drop your name below and we'll shout you out! So many of you are running for such wonderful causes too. Thank you - you're always all winners in our eyes! 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️🤩💛

✨

25/04/2026

If you're running or watching the London Marathon tomorrow, we urge you to look out for this phenomenal man, Manny Singh Kang who has been walking to London non stop since yesterday ahead of running the TCS London Marathon in aid of Dementia UK - head to his page to learn more and donate! 🙏🏽✨️... Already a winner in our eyes🏅

Manny Singh Kang, from Wolverhampton, is set to walk 130 miles (209km) before taking part in the London Marathon this Sunday. Full story in comments 🔗

20/04/2026

It's been a very busy week for !🧡

We were delighted to have been a part of the Vaisakhi Reception at last Monday, hosted by the Prime Minister who has been Punjab Restaurant's MP since 2015. It was lovely to see so many familiar faces from the Sikh community be recognised with invitations to the event.

Of course we had to take the obligatory photo outside probably, the most famous address in the world 😉

14/04/2026

Wishing our fellow Punjabis, Sikhs and everyone a very Happy Vaisakhi from us all at !🧡

has long been celebrated as a joyous Punjabi harvest festival marking the beginning of the harvest season, with gathering of wheat, singing and dancing of bhangra and giddha to the dhol at village Vaisakhi melas, where all would dress up in their best and brightest. People enjoy a rich variety of food such as Kadhi with Pakoray, Zarda (yellow/orange sweet rice), Kardha Parshaad (Atta Halwa), Chholay bhaturay, Aloo Puri, Dhaal Makhni, Saag and Makki di roti, Mattar Paneer… the list is endless!

While other parts of the Indian Subcontinent celebrate their own versions of Vaisakhi, it has always been a festival significant to Punjab, especially with its strong agricultural heritage.🌾🚜

However, on 13th April in 1699 in Anandpur, Vaisakhi became one of the most significant days in the Sikh calendar by taking on a new important meaning. This was when the Sikhs’ 10th Guru, Guru Gobind Rai established the Khalsa, the collective of baptised Sikhs, with its own distinct courageous, disciplined and visible identity, eliminating inequality derived from caste within faiths. The first five baptised Sikhs were the Panj Pyare, or the Five Beloved, and they in turn baptised him as the sixth Khalsa, when he became Guru Gobind Singh. Thus, all male Sikhs carry the middle or surname of Singh (lion), and females, Kaur (princess).

Vaisakhi is celebrated globally on 14th April, though many will also celebrate it today, on 13th April. We’ve been serving outside the restaurant - do pass by if you're local! Or do visit your local Gurdwara where all are welcome! 🙏💛

08/04/2026

This month, marks 80 years in business! And we’re so grateful - thank you! 🙏💛

Our founder, Gurbachan Singh Maan, opened the Punjab Restaurant in 1946 in Aldgate and moved to our current location 80 Neal Street, Covent Garden in June 1951. His values and ethos have remained as the foundation of what stands for today… and many of the dishes on our menu are still made to his recipes! ✨

We’ll be celebrating our 80th anniversary by sharing more about this remarkable man, the restaurant through the decades, and some great people – both on the walls and behind the scenes here.

If you or your family have any memories, anecdotes or photos of Punjab Restaurant you’d like to share, simply slide into our DMs! 😉

The best way to celebrate this milestone? We’d simply love to have you join us at the Punjab for a meal and help us celebrate our 80th Anniversary 🎉💛

14/02/2026

Happy Valentine’s Day from all of us at ❤️✨️

Punjabi has many words for love because one just isn't enough! From pyaar and mohabbat to ishq and preet, our language reflects something we’ve always known: love can be passionate, gentle, devoted, dramatic… sometimes all at once.

Our classic love stories like Heer Ranjha and Sohni Mahiwaal remind us that Punjabi romance has never been understated. It’s heartfelt, expressive, and always shared.

And in Punjab, love is rarely celebrated quietly. It gathers people together around stories, laughter, music… and, of course, food 😋

However your feeling the love and whoever with, we're always ready to help you celebrate the one emotion there can never be too much of here at Punjab Restaurant in with our love - 🥰

18/01/2026

Thank you to everyone who came to celebrate at this last week! May your season ahead be full of positivity and prodperity! 🌾🌽🥜🔥✨

14/01/2026

Our special set menu is available for you all week, which of course would be incomplete without 😋

Join us here at this Friday from 4pm as we light a Lohri Bonfire, spread its warmth, and burn away the bad seeds of the Punjabi Winter and celebrate welcoming the Punjabi Spring by clearing the way for a great harvest, reaping positivity, joy and success for the season and year ahead! 🌾🌽🔥🎉

All are welcome! 😊💛