Unico,
Gurugram
Gurugram
From Features Desk
UNICO, meaning “the only one” in Spanish,
began with the return of a young, well-travelled
entrepreneur to India. He did not bring back
souvenirs but ideas gathered from the world’s
finest kitchens, extraordinary dining rooms and
unforgettable hospitality experiences. He
envisioned something India had not yet seen, a
refined, plant-forward European Mediterranean
restaurant that brought together luxury, purity
and memory.
The vision was personal. He wanted to create a
place where the food was thoughtful and
indulgent, where hospitality was heartfelt, and
everything served was something he himself
would love to eat. Not just another vegetarian
restaurant but a bold reimagination of what
plant-forward dining could look like in India.
Crafting a Culinary Identity
Soon, the vision attracted a team of like-minded pioneers who shared the same values. Among them were Sushant Vatsyayan, a passionate hospitality leader who believes food is only half the story and service is what makes it whole, and Chef Richa Johri, an award-winning chef known for her fearless and disruptive spirit in the kitchen.
Soon, the vision attracted a team of like-minded pioneers who shared the same values. Among them were Sushant Vatsyayan, a passionate hospitality leader who believes food is only half the story and service is what makes it whole, and Chef Richa Johri, an award-winning chef known for her fearless and disruptive spirit in the kitchen.
She is celebrated as one of the most
influential chefs in India. Together, they formed the core of UNICO, a team
not bound by trends but by a single conviction to
create the only one.
The team began by studying the bustling
landscape of NCR, a region brimming with
restaurants and cafés that open by the dozen
every week. They observed a common thread.
While good food and ambience were abundantly
available, service was often treated as an
afterthought. They also realised there was no
high-end casual dining destination serving fully
vegetarian European Mediterranean cuisine
These insights became the foundation. UNICO
would stand apart as a luxurious yet
approachable dining experience, fully vegetarian
and built on impeccable hospitality.
Designing the Experience
After careful research and exploration of neighbourhoods, the team chose Global Foyer Mall on Golf Course Road in Gurugram as the ideal location.
After careful research and exploration of neighbourhoods, the team chose Global Foyer Mall on Golf Course Road in Gurugram as the ideal location.
Surrounded by IT offices, luxury apartments and a
cosmopolitan community, the location offered
both visibility and accessibility. More importantly,
it gave the restaurant a chance to become a
central hub, a gathering space for food lovers,
professionals and families alike.
The next challenge was to design a space that
truly embodied UNICO’s ethos. The team turned
to the Mediterranean for inspiration, choosing
Moorish architecture as the guiding style. Elegant
and less explored, it resonated with the brand’s
identity of rarity.
The design brief was clear. The space had to look
and feel like the only one. It had to feature a fully
transparent kitchen to build trust and showcase
artistry. Interiors needed to be warm, detailed
and aligned with the European Mediterranean
narrative. The design team’s early drawings laid
the foundation. Slowly, the vision turned into
blueprints and blueprints turned into reality.
UNICO began to take shape not just as a
restaurant but as a destination.
A Kitchen with a Philosophy
While the walls were being built, the menu, the heart of UNICO, was being crafted. The team rented a separate space where chefs could experiment, innovate and perfect dishes. For Chef Richa Johri, celebrated for her non-vegetarian creations, this was both an exciting challenge and an opportunity to redefine herself.
While the walls were being built, the menu, the heart of UNICO, was being crafted. The team rented a separate space where chefs could experiment, innovate and perfect dishes. For Chef Richa Johri, celebrated for her non-vegetarian creations, this was both an exciting challenge and an opportunity to redefine herself.
She meticulously reimagined European
Mediterranean flavours in a purely vegetarian
format. The result was seasonal, unique and free
from repetition.
The kitchen philosophy was simple but
demanding. Cooking had to be seasonal,
respecting what nature offers at the time. All
production was in-house, from milling flour and
pressing oils to baking without eggs. Quality was
uncompromising, with no shortcuts.
The bakery became a revelation as eggless
patisserie rivalled international benchmarks. The
bar too was designed to challenge norms with no
processed sugar, no waste and no ordinary
drinks. Sweetness came naturally from
ingredients, not additives.
To anchor this philosophy, the bar was equipped
with one of the world’s most precise coffee
machines, the Black Eagle Maverick. Only six
such machines exist in India. Guests at UNICO
would therefore enjoy not only inventive cocktails
but also some of the finest coffee in the country.
Sustainability with Substance
From day one, sustainability was not just a marketing line for UNICO. It was a cornerstone. The team had seen how many restaurants used sustainability as a trend to advertise without truly practising it. UNICO chose a different path.
From day one, sustainability was not just a marketing line for UNICO. It was a cornerstone. The team had seen how many restaurants used sustainability as a trend to advertise without truly practising it. UNICO chose a different path.
Farms at Sohna Road in Gurugram, just a few
kilometres away, grow produce for the restaurant.
A hydroponic system inside the restaurant
provides fresh microgreens. In-house flour milling
and oil pressing ensure purity and transparency.
Over 850 live plants breathe life into the space
daily, with partnerships ensuring fresh rotations of
1,200 plants every month. Dyson air systems
maintain a pure dining atmosphere. All kitchen
and bar waste is sent to the farm to feed cows,
closing the loop of sustainability.
This commitment made by UNICO is a
future-forward model of what dining can and
should be.
What began as the vision of a young traveller has
today evolved into a restaurant that redefines the
vegetarian dining experience in India. UNICO is
more than a restaurant.
It is a celebration of
European Mediterranean cuisine without
compromise, a testament to great hospitality
where service is as memorable as food and a
commitment to sustainability where every detail
reflects care for the future. It is a space of
elegance and memory where every plate tells a
story.
UNICO opened its doors on Christmas Eve,
December 24, 2024, not just as another dining
option but as the only one. Today, it stands as a
destination where tradition and modernity, luxury
and sustainability, food and hospitality all meet in
harmony.
UNICO is more than a restaurant. It is a
movement that insists food should not just be
eaten but remembered.
