Four Celebrity-Owned Restaurants That Feel Like Destinations

Celebrity-owned restaurants are no longer just about star power; they are carefully curated experiences where design, architecture, and ambience reflect the personality of the owner. From bold, energetic spaces to serene, elegant settings, these restaurants use interior style and layout to complement their culinary offerings. Virat Kohli’s One8 Commune, Chef Kunal Kapur’s Pincode, Amrita Arora & Shakeel Ladak’s Jolene by the Sea, and Karan Johar’s OJU each showcase a distinct approach, making dining as much about the environment as the food.

One8 Commune

Style & Architecture
One8 Commune (Noida, also newer locations) leans into urban polish with bohemian heart. Designed by Saaz Design / Sanjana Singh, the place plays with zones — some meant for casual quick drinks, others intimate dinners, outdoor seating, or bar + DJ area. A central column, once a challenge architecturally, is turned into a focal feature. Materials like bamboo, recycled cotton, textured concrete bring an eco-conscious touch. Earthy tones dominate, with flashes of flamingo red and pink offering energy. Lighting is layered: warm, soft, inviting. Living-room touches — lamps, console tables, potted plants — make you want to stay.

Food & Flavour
The menu at One8 Commune reinvents local favourites with global inspirations. In Indore, dishes like Jalebi Chaat, Kala Chana Hummus Chaat, Bun Tikki, Dal Pakwan share space with dim sums, sushi, salads, small plates. The desserts lean nostalgic but elevated: Lava Cake, Churros, Black Forest with a twist. It’s flavour-forward, playful, designed for sharing and discovering.

Vibe
It’s not fine dining in the strict sense — it’s more about energy, community, conversation. The elevated bar + DJ area is social heart. The outdoor / sundowner space with views sets the mood as daylight fades. One8 Commune is as much about the evening’s memories as the food itself.

Pincode by Chef Kunal Kapur

Design & Setting
Pincode roots itself in nostalgia — old India charm meets modern comfort. Floors use Pandamo (a warm, perhaps stone-like finish) and distressed printed tiles. Walls are lined with historical photos of Delhi, vintage items (old cameras, postal stamps), artwork, and a ceramic utensil wall installation by Claymen. It feels like stepping into a well-kept memory, or visiting someone’s beloved haveli in old city. Arches, ceiling wooden rafters, garden-like touches of plants and light filter in character.

Cuisine
Here, it’s pan-Indian with regionally inspired twists. Some signature dishes: Pressure Cooker Chicken Curry; Lamb Seekh Tawa Masala; Malai Prawns; Old Delhi Bread Pudding. Classics from various corners of India get reimagined (e.g. Gujarati dhokla gets a chaat makeover, bedmi poori from Braj with doobki-wale aloo). The food mirrors the design: familiar but surprising.

Atmosphere
Pincode leans warm, inviting, nostalgic. There’s a friendly familiarity — folk music, lighting that’s glowing but not loud, décor that sparks memory. It feels like you’re visiting someone’s place, someone who loves their city and its culinary history. It’s comfortable, yet beautifully styled.

Jolene by the Sea (Amrita Arora & Shakeel Ladak)

Architecture & Ambience
Set in Goa, right by the sea, Jolene by the Sea is glamour with boho soul. It’s a beachside haven. High ceilings, sliding/glazing walls opening toward the ocean, glass walls giving uninterrupted views, natural material play — earthy tones, sand-colored curtains, rustic sofas, palm trees inside. The façade has bamboo screens. Lighting is soft, ethereal — chandeliers made of wooden branches, pendant lights of wooden beads. The overall architecture borrows from coastal homes, open to breeze, sun, sound of waves.

Menu & Food
Curated by Chef Suvir Saran, Jolene offers global comfort food with creative twists. Signature dishes include TB&C (tomatoes, burrata, crispy cornflakes), Forbidden Yet Yours (black rice fried rice variation), Spicy Misal Ramen. The idea is freshness, flavour, layering — not heavy polish, but real fluff and fun.

Feel
Relaxed luxury. You’re there for sunsets, conversations, maybe long meals that spill into evening. It feels intimate but not exclusive; glamorous but not pretentious. Jolene balances the wow of sea views and style with warmth and ease.

OJU by Karan Johar

Design & Style
OJU (in Gurgaon) is a Japanese-inspired restaurant, but with KJo’s penchant for aesthetic detail and mood. Designed by Aayushi Malik, it follows the Shibui philosophy: understated beauty, restraint, purpose. Natural stone flooring, warm wood cladding, muted tones. Kyoto-style wallpaper, soft lighting, some semi-private corners with velvet curtains. The lighting is layered — floor lamps, table lamps, candles — to create an ambience that builds from calm meal to a livelier night. Outdoor Zen garden corner; inside and outside seating.

Food & Drinks
OJU serves a menu that mixes classic and modern Japanese flavours: things like Pickled Tomato Maki Rolls, Scallop Kushiyaki, Prawn Tempura; signature items like Black Miso Cod and Grilled Salmon Robatayaki. The sushi bar features nigiri, sashimi, maki. On the drinks front, there’s a strong cocktail program: highball rituals, house pours, fusion touches with Japanese + Peruvian inspirations. Cocktails have a starring role.

Ambience & Vibe
Cool, soothing, refined. OJU doesn’t rush its guests; it lets mood build. The muted décor won’t hit you immediately, but the details catch you in moments. Perfect place for a quiet, elegant dinner; good for cocktails; gives you enough intimacy for conversation but also stylish energy if you’re out later. It’s luxury, but not loud.

Why These Restaurants Feel Different

• Design tells a story: Each one uses architecture and décor to reflect identity — whether that’s Virat Kohli’s vision, nostalgia for Old Delhi, coastal vibes in Goa, or Shibui calm in Gurgaon.
• Fusion in food matches fusion in design: The menus echo the architectural mix — traditional with modern, local with global.

Vibe matters: These aren’t just places to eat — they’re spaces to linger, to meet friends, to be seen, or to escape. Good lighting, layout, seating zones make a big difference.