Educated in sociology, international business, and hospitality, with degrees from The City University of London, the University of Nottingham, and the École Hôtelière de Lausanne, Nair is that rare hybrid: part strategist, part storyteller. Her career began at The Leela Palaces, Hotels & Resorts, founded by her grandfather, Captain CP Krishnan Nair, where she quickly rose to head of design and operations. But it wasn’t long before her entrepreneurial spirit took over.

In 2015, Nair launched Dandelion, a luxury sleepwear label that reflected her eye for detail and understated elegance. Then came Jamavar and Bombay Bustle in London’s Mayfair, where her twin passions for gastronomy and design took centre stage. More recently, under LSL Capital, she’s expanded her footprint with MiMi Mei Fair, KOYN, and the charmingly rustic Nipotina, each space a nuanced expression of culture, cuisine, and community.

Now, Nair has brought her magic to Dubai, with the openings of Jamavar and MiMi Mei Fair in the city’s glittering Downtown district. MADAME Arabia sat down with the gastronomic entrepreneur to talk about the power of storytelling through space, what inspires her creatively, and why hospitality is, at its core, a deeply personal experience.

Let’s start at the beginning – what was it about the world of gastronomy that first captured your imagination? Was there a particular moment, meal, or memory that made you realise this was the space you wanted to shape?

Gastronomy has always fascinated me, not just as an act of nourishment, but as a vessel for memory, culture, and connection. My earliest memories have been made around the dining table, where conversations flowed as effortlessly as the courses. Early on, I understood that a truly special meal was about more than just flavour, it was about feeling. That realisation stayed with me, but it was my time in London that crystallised the idea. I experienced how restaurants could become cultural emissaries, telling stories through food, interiors, and emotion. That’s when I knew I wanted to shape spaces that moved people, not just fed them.

Your projects often blend food, design, and experience in such a considered way. When you’re conceptualising a new venue, what comes first for you – the cuisine, the aesthetic, or the story you want to tell?

Always the story, but told via the medium of cuisine. For me, the story offers a soul to a space. It anchors every creative and operational decision that follows. Once I have that narrative, whether it’s the imagined London residence of an elusive Chinese Empress MiMi or a bustling Mumbai train carriage, the aesthetic and the cuisine unfold organically. It becomes about designing a world, not just a restaurant. Every menu item, scent, lighting detail, and piece of music is guided by a central ideology. That’s what gives a place its emotional texture and longevity.

Why was Dubai the next logical step for you after London? What made it the right city for your latest concept – and what are you hoping to add to the region’s culinary conversation?

Dubai felt like a natural progression. It’s cosmopolitan, design-forward, and deeply receptive to culture. Much like London, it thrives on global voices, but it’s also a place that celebrates luxury and hospitality in a very intentional way. What drew me here was the opportunity to bring a point of view to a market that’s not just growing, but evolving. With MiMi Mei Fair, we wanted to introduce something theatrical yet refined, a concept that isn’t just about dining, but about entering another realm. My hope is to contribute to Dubai’s culinary narrative by crafting spaces that are immersive, soulful, and genuinely transportive.

You’ve said that you see restaurants as emotional spaces. How does that philosophy shape how you build a brand, from menu development to interiors to staffing?

I see restaurants as emotional landscapes, spaces where memory, beauty, and flavour intersect. That philosophy seeps into every touchpoint. In menu development, we look for dishes that carry heritage and depth, not just technical flair. In the design, we consider how each aspect makes a guest feel – how light falls, how fabric moves, how scent lingers. Even in recruitment, it’s about empathy and energy; the right team isn’t just skilled, they intuit emotion. A restaurant should stir something in you, leave you changed, even subtly. That’s the benchmark for us at LSL Capital.

The hospitality and gastronomy industries are still overwhelmingly male-led. As a female founder and creative director, how do you navigate that dynamic, and do you feel it’s starting to shift?

Navigating this space as a woman means carving out room where there often hasn’t been precedent, but that also brings freedom. I’m not bound by inherited rules; I lead with instinct, emotion, and vision. That said, it takes resilience. I’ve learned to let my work speak, and to surround myself with people who share my commitment to excellence, regardless of gender. I do believe things are shifting, slowly but surely. More women are leading with confidence and clarity. And I hope that by being visible and intentional, I can contribute to a more inclusive, inspired future for our industry. My experience thus far has taught me that the glass ceiling exists only if you believe it to. 

What’s been the biggest challenge you've faced while scaling your vision across continents? And how has that challenge shaped you as a businesswoman?

The biggest challenge has been protecting the soul of each concept while growing across borders. Every city has its own rhythm, palate, and pace – and what works in London won’t always translate in Dubai. I’ve had to learn how to be fiercely protective of the brand DNA, while also adapting with humility. It’s taught me to lead with both head and heart, trust my team, and be unafraid of evolving. That balance, between consistency and reinvention, has shaped me into a more intentional, thoughtful leader.

Looking across all your projects – from Jamavar to KOYN to your latest Dubai launch – is there a thread that ties them all together? Something uniquely ‘Samyukta’ in their DNA?

Absolutely. The thread is emotional storytelling. Whether it’s the royal kitchens of Jamavar, the fiery contrasts of KOYN, or the whimsical mystique of MiMi Mei Fair, every space we create is built on a strong narrative spine. They each have their own voice, but share the same DNA: immersive design, reverence for heritage, and a commitment to authenticity. I think what makes something ‘mine’ is the way it makes you feel – transported, seen, and delighted in equal measure.

What’s exciting you most right now – either creatively, professionally, or personally?

Right now, I’m most excited by the blurring lines between food, fashion, and culture. I find so much inspiration in how these worlds are colliding. We’re entering a time where hospitality is no longer just about restaurants – it’s about lifestyle, about creating worlds. That creative elasticity excites me because it means there’s always room to dream bigger.

Tell me about a moment in your career that didn’t go as planned, but taught you something vital about yourself or your business.

Socca, in partnership with two-star veteran Chef Claude Bosi, is a project I was deeply passionate about. Due to an array of external constraints, a year and a half in, it had to be shelved. It was heartbreaking. But in retrospect, it taught me two things: first, that resilience isn’t just about bouncing back – it’s about refining vision under pressure. Second, every ending holds a lesson. The learnings from that experience made our next launch at Nipotina sharper, more intentional, and more resonant. Sometimes the universe presses pause for a reason; you simply have to trust the process. 

Is there a moment you wish you could relive? A launch, a night, a conversation – something that still brings a smile when you think back on it?

The launch of Jamavar London will always hold a sacred place in my heart. It was my first venture, and the sense of possibility in the room was electric. I remember standing quietly by the bar, watching guests react to the space, the food, the service, and realising we’d created something that moved people. That feeling – that blend of pride, relief, and quiet joy – is something I’ll never forget. I’d relive that moment in a heartbeat.

Hospitality often looks effortless from the outside, but we both know it’s anything but. What do you think is the biggest misconception people have about what you actually do day to day?

The biggest misconception is that it’s glamorous. The reality is – it’s relentless. My day spans everything from reviewing P&Ls to refining floral arrangements. It’s an amalgamation of operational and creative decisions that often need to be made within the same hour. People see the final experience, but not the months of R&D and sleepless nights. However, that’s also the beauty of it – the invisible labour that creates visible magic. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Your projects reflect such a deep attention to detail… How do you stay inspired creatively when you're juggling so many moving parts?

Inspiration, for me, lives in the margins. It’s in a piece of antique fabric, a quiet museum room, a childhood recipe. I try to stay porous  – open to ideas, to emotion, to the world around me. But I also make space to step back. I travel not just to explore, but to pause. That stillness is where new ideas find me. And I’m fortunate to work with a team that helps carry the weight so I can keep dreaming.

What’s one dish, one destination, and one piece of advice you always come back to when you need to reset or reconnect with your purpose?

One dish: My grandmother Leela’s Lobster Neeruli — it’s a dish that instantly takes me back to family meals and home-cooked flavours. Now that I live away, I am incredibly glad for it to have its rightful place on Jamavar’s menu across London, Doha and Dubai. Thereby also serving as an everyday reminder that food is heritage, not just craft.

One destination: New York – I grew up in the middle of its dining scene. The energy, the endless reinvention, the neighbourhoods have their own rhythm. It’s chaotic and grounding at the same time. I constantly crave to go back as simply walking through the city resets me. 

One piece of advice: “If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for everything” are very wise words from my grandfather, Captain Nair, that stay with me till this day. 

Finally, what do you want people to feel when they walk out of one of your restaurants, not just about the meal, but about themselves?

I want them to feel seen, transported, and inspired. That they’ve not just dined, but experienced something deeply intentional. I hope they carry a story with them—a moment of wonder, a new memory. Ultimately, I want our restaurants to be mirrors: places where guests can connect to a culture, a feeling, or even a forgotten part of themselves. That’s the magic I chase, every day.