Karan Gokani

Karan Gokani is Co-Founder and Creative Director of Hoppers Restaurants in London.

He grew up in Mumbai and moved to England in 2005 to study law at the University of Cambridge. Even as a practicing solicitor, Karan’s passion for food and hospitality never faded and he spent time in professional kitchens in his spare time.

In 2012, he left his legal career to pursue a career in hospitality, traveling across India and Sri Lanka prolifically to immerse himself in the food and culture of the countries. In 2015, JKS Restaurants and Karan opened Hoppers, a Sri Lankan and south Indian restaurant on Frith Street, Soho. The restaurant was awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2017 alongside several other prestigious awards. Hoppers has been hailed as one of the first restaurants to make Sri Lankan food accessible in central London. A second Hoppers followed in Marylebone in 2017 and a third in King’s Cross in 2020.

Published book:

Hoppers: The Cookbook from the Cult London Restaurant: Recipes, Memories and Inspiration from Sri Lankan Homes, Streets and Beyond – 2022