Cyrus Todiwala: The Chef Who Brought Indian Flavours to British Tables
Introduction
Cyrus Todiwala is an Indian-born British chef, restaurateur, cookbook author and television personality. He is best known for Café Spice Namasté, the London Indian restaurant he runs with his wife, Pervin Todiwala.
His career began in India. He trained as a professional chef, worked for the Taj hotel group and later moved to Britain in 1991.
That move changed his career.
Today, he is recognised for his Indian cooking, television appearances and work with young chefs. He has also received an MBE and an OBE for his contribution to education, training and hospitality.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Cyrus Todiwala |
| Profession | Chef, restaurateur and author |
| Birthplace | Bombay, now Mumbai, India |
| Professional base | London, United Kingdom |
| Famous for | Café Spice Namasté |
| Wife | Pervin Todiwala |
| Children | Two sons |
| Restaurant | Café Spice Namasté |
| British honours | MBE and OBE |
| Television programme | The Incredible Spice Men |
| Cooking specialities | Indian, Goan and Parsi food |
| Other work | Cookbook writing and chef training |
Early Life and Background
Cyrus grew up in Bombay, India.
Food was part of everyday life. The city had a rich mix of regional Indian cooking, and those flavours would later become a familiar part of his professional work.
He attended boarding school in Maharashtra before choosing a career in hospitality.
His interest soon became serious.
Rather than treating cooking as a hobby, he entered professional chef training in Bombay. He spent four years learning kitchen methods, food preparation and the standards expected in hotel restaurants.
That training gave him a base.
It also opened the door to India’s hotel industry, where he would spend important years learning how professional kitchens worked.
Education and Professional Training
His formal training took place in India.
He studied classical cooking techniques before joining the Taj hotel group, one of the country’s established luxury hotel operators.
Working in hotel kitchens was demanding.
Chefs had to prepare different dishes, handle busy services and meet strict kitchen standards. Cyrus gained experience in this environment and gradually accepted greater responsibility.
He later became executive chef at the Taj Holiday Village in Goa.
Goa was an important chapter.
The region has its own food traditions, including dishes shaped by Indian and Portuguese cooking. His experience there became part of the knowledge he brought to Britain.
His education did not stop after training. Years of restaurant work helped him develop his cooking style and understand the business side of hospitality.
Moving to Britain in 1991
In 1991, he moved to London with his family.
It was a big change.
He had already built a professional career in India, but London offered a different restaurant market and new expectations from customers.
He started working at Namasté, an Indian restaurant in London.
The move gave him an opportunity to introduce British diners to regional Indian recipes alongside familiar restaurant favourites.
At the time, many Indian restaurants in Britain focused on a relatively limited menu of popular dishes.
Cyrus wanted to offer more.
His cooking drew from the food he knew in India, with special attention to regional recipes, spices and fresh ingredients.
That approach later became closely connected with his best-known restaurant.
Building a Restaurant Career in London
A major career change arrived in 1995.
He joined Michael Gottlieb as executive chef and partner at Café Spice Namasté.
The restaurant became a place where he could develop his own menu ideas.
He prepared Indian dishes with a strong connection to regional cooking. Goan and Parsi recipes became important parts of the restaurant’s identity.
Customers could find food beyond the standard curry-house menu.
Still, the work involved more than cooking.
Running a restaurant means managing staff, training people, buying ingredients and maintaining food standards. Cyrus became involved in these areas as the business grew.
In 2005, he and Pervin became the restaurant’s sole owners.
That was another big step.
They now had full responsibility for the business, from its kitchen to everyday operations.
A New Chapter at Royal Albert Wharf
Café Spice Namasté spent many years on Prescot Street in London.
Its former building had once served as a magistrates’ court. The unusual setting became part of the restaurant’s history.
Then came a major move.
The business relocated to Royal Albert Wharf in East London, with the new location opening in 2022 after the move began in 2021.
The restaurant continued its focus on Indian regional cooking.
As of October 2026, the Michelin Guide lists Café Spice Namasté at Royal Albert Wharf and identifies Cyrus as its chef-owner.
Its continuing presence in London’s restaurant scene is an important part of his professional story.
Cooking Style and Signature Food
His cooking is strongly influenced by India’s regional food traditions.
Goan dishes are especially important.
Goan cuisine often uses ingredients and methods that reflect the region’s history. Seafood, spices, coconut and tangy flavours appear in many traditional recipes.
He also works with Parsi cooking.
Parsi food has its own identity, with dishes that balance different flavours and often combine meat, lentils, vegetables and spices.
One dish associated with the restaurant is lamb dhaansaak, which has roots in Parsi cooking.
He also uses British produce.
The idea is simple. Good ingredients and traditional cooking knowledge can work together without making every dish taste the same.
His cookbooks follow a similar approach. They explain how home cooks can use familiar spices to prepare Indian food in their own kitchens.
Television Career and Public Recognition
Many people first came across the chef on television.
His best-known programme is The Incredible Spice Men, which aired on BBC Two in 2013.
He presented it alongside fellow chef Tony Singh.
The programme focused on using spices in everyday cooking, including dishes made with ingredients familiar to British households.
It offered practical cooking ideas.
Cyrus has also appeared on BBC’s Saturday Kitchen, sharing recipes and discussing Indian cuisine.
Television helped introduce his cooking to people who had never visited his restaurant.
It gave viewers a chance to see his methods, hear his explanations and learn how spices could change familiar meals.
His public work has continued through food events, interviews and culinary education.
Cookbooks and Food Writing
Writing has been another part of his career.
He has published cookbooks that bring Indian recipes into the home kitchen.
Mr Todiwala’s Bombay
This book focuses on food connected with Mumbai, the city where he grew up.
It includes recipes and personal memories, giving readers a sense of the dishes and cooking traditions associated with the city.
Simple Spice
This cookbook focuses on ten commonly used spices.
It includes 120 recipes, showing readers how different spices can be used in everyday meals.
The book is written for people who want to understand Indian cooking without needing an unusually large collection of ingredients.
Simple Spice Vegetarian
Published in 2020, this book focuses on vegetarian and vegan cooking.
It uses Indian spices to create meat-free dishes and gives home cooks practical recipe choices.
Together, these books show how his work reaches beyond restaurant customers.
They also give readers a way to learn his approach to food at home.
Awards and British Honours
His contribution to hospitality has received official recognition.
He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, or MBE, for his work in education and training.
He later received an OBE in the 2010 New Year Honours for services to the hospitality industry.
These honours recognise different parts of his professional life.
Restaurant cooking brought him public attention, but training and supporting other chefs have also been important parts of his work.
He has received recognition for hospitality education and is associated with the title of Deputy Lieutenant.
His restaurant has also been recognised for training and environmental practices.
For a chef who began his career in Indian hotel kitchens, these awards mark several decades of work in the British food industry.
Wife and Family Life
Cyrus is married to Pervin Todiwala.
Their relationship is also a business partnership.
Pervin is a trained chef and has played an important role in managing Café Spice Namasté, including its operations.
The couple have two sons.
They have worked together for many years, sharing responsibility for the restaurant and projects connected with hospitality education.
Pervin has also helped build the business beyond its kitchen.
Her role covers the management work needed to keep a restaurant operating.
Together, they have built a long-running professional partnership while raising their family.
Helping Young Chefs Through Education
Teaching is an important part of his career.
He and Pervin co-founded Zest Quest Asia in 2013.
The competition gives student chefs an opportunity to learn more about Asian food traditions and demonstrate their cooking skills.
Participants work with recipes, ingredients and methods drawn from different Asian cuisines.
It also encourages hospitality students to understand the background of the food they prepare.
This matters in professional kitchens.
A chef needs practical skills, but understanding ingredients and cooking traditions can also help them make better decisions.
Through the competition, Cyrus has continued working with young people entering the hospitality industry.
It connects his early professional training with the work he does today.
Restaurant Business and Food Products
His business interests have extended beyond Café Spice Namasté.
His name is associated with Mr Todiwala’s food products, including spice blends, condiments, chutneys and pickles.
These products are connected with the flavours and recipes developed through his cooking career.
He has also been involved with other restaurant projects, including Mr Todiwala’s Kitchen and Mr Todiwala’s Petiscos.
These form part of his wider business history.
Still, Café Spice Namasté remains his best-known restaurant and the clearest example of his long-running work with Pervin.
His Influence on Indian Food in Britain
Indian food has a long history in Britain.
Restaurants across the country have served Indian-inspired meals for generations, and diners have developed strong preferences for particular dishes.
Cyrus helped bring attention to regional Indian cooking.
His menus introduced customers to recipes associated with communities and places that were less familiar on standard restaurant menus.
Parsi dishes are one example.
Rather than treating Indian cooking as a single style, his work has shown how much recipes can change across different regions.
His television programmes and books have carried that idea into home kitchens.
Meanwhile, his educational work continues to support people entering the industry.
This connection between restaurant cooking and training is a consistent part of his professional career.
Where Is He Now?
As of October 2026, Cyrus continues to be publicly identified as chef-owner of Café Spice Namasté in London’s Royal Albert Wharf.
His professional work is also connected with cookbooks, Indian food products and Zest Quest Asia.
The restaurant remains the main place associated with his cooking.
Its official website provides information about the menu, location and business.
Readers can also find his published books through major booksellers and publishers.
His career now covers several decades, beginning in India and continuing in the UK.
Final Thought
Cyrus Todiwala built his career through years of practical kitchen work.
He started in India, gained experience in major hotels and moved to Britain in 1991.
London brought new opportunities.
Café Spice Namasté became his best-known business, while his books and television work introduced his cooking to a wider audience.
The story does not end at the restaurant.
His work with student chefs shows a continuing interest in teaching the skills he learned during his own training.
That is what makes his career worth knowing: decades spent cooking, running restaurants and helping the next generation learn.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is Cyrus Todiwala?
Cyrus Todiwala is an Indian-born British chef, restaurateur, cookbook author and television personality. He is best known for Café Spice Namasté in London.
2. Where was he born?
He was born in Bombay, now known as Mumbai, India. He began his professional cooking career there before moving to Britain.
3. Who is his wife?
His wife is Pervin Todiwala. She is a trained chef and business partner who works with him at Café Spice Namasté.
4. Which restaurant does he own?
He and Pervin own Café Spice Namasté, an Indian restaurant at Royal Albert Wharf in East London.
5. What television show made him famous?
He is particularly known for The Incredible Spice Men, a BBC Two cooking programme he presented with Tony Singh in 2013.
6. Has he received an OBE?
Yes. He received an OBE in the 2010 New Year Honours for services to the hospitality industry. He had also been awarded an MBE.
7. What cookbooks has he written?
His books include Mr Todiwala’s Bombay, Simple Spice and Simple Spice Vegetarian. They focus on Indian cooking and the practical use of spices.
8. What is Zest Quest Asia?
Zest Quest Asia is a culinary competition co-founded by Cyrus and Pervin Todiwala in 2013. It helps student chefs develop their knowledge of Asian cuisines.
