Michelin-Chef Shane Osborn Brings Global Flair to Bengaluru’s Le Cirque Signature, The Leela Palace

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Bengaluru: The garden city is thriving as a global culinary capital, where food pop-ups, chef-led collaborations, and exclusive dining experiences are becoming the norm. Among the forerunners of this movement is The Leela Palace, a landmark in Indian luxury and hospitality that continuously champions immersive fine dining. Within its regal walls, Le Cirque Signature has played host to a glittering constellation of global chefs—icons who’ve defined culinary excellence in every corner of the world.

This July, The Leela Palace raises the bar yet again by welcoming one of modern gastronomy’s most celebrated names—Chef Shane Osborn—for his debut showcase in India. Across two exclusive evenings (July 11 & 12, 2025), diners will be treated to an exquisite eight-course menu curated by the first Australian chef to earn the highest international recognition in fine dining. Osborn’s visit marks a defining moment not just for The Leela Palace but for the Indian dining landscape at large.

Currently based in Hong Kong, Osborn is the force behind Arcane, Cornerstone, and Moxie, under his acclaimed restaurant group The Arcane Collective. His culinary journey spans continents, accolades, and television screens—he was a finalist on Netflix’s The Final Table. Through it all, Osborn has maintained a fiercely ingredient-led, technique-driven approach, one that emphasizes sustainability, storytelling, and the quiet power of honest food.

I caught up with Chef Shane Osborn during his time at The Leela Palace to speak about creativity, chaos, culture, and what Bangalore brought to his plate.

From Perth to London to Hong Kong to Bangalore—what’s been the most unexpected stop in your culinary journey so far?

My time filming The Final Table show for Netflix in Los Angeles stands out.

You’ve cooked in kitchens where intensity is a daily ritual. What has chaos taught you that calm never could?

Stay focused.

If Arcane, Cornerstone, and Moxie were people, how would they behave at a dinner party?

Arcane would be the life of the party, Cornerstone would be the chilled-out one in the corner, and Moxie would be the annoying millennial.

The Leela Palace is a place of grandeur and heritage. If you had to plate this space as a dish, what would it taste like?

A classic dish from one of the French masters such as Paul Bocuse—heritage, finesse, and class never go out of fashion.

Has anything on a Bangalore plate—be it a local herb or spice—caught your imagination since you arrived?

Indian breakfast kicks arse! Dosas forever.

You’ve often spoken about ingredient-driven cuisine. Do you ever think of ingredients as storytellers, carrying the cultures and geographies they come from?

It’s important to inform our guests where our products come from, as this is something we take very seriously. Supporting farmers and producers who produce food in a sustainable/non-intensive way is of utmost importance.

What would success in the culinary world look like if Michelin recognition didn’t exist?

A restaurant is part of a wider community—seeing that community thrive is the ultimate sign of success. Awards like Michelin are a small feather in the cap.

You’re known for mentorship. What’s something you tell young chefs now that your younger self never would have believed?

That fusion cuisine would be celebrated in France.

You’ve travelled across cultures and kitchens—how do you stay creatively hungry?

I simply love the people in our industry—it’s them that keep me inspired and wanting to continue to develop.

What would you cook in a one-table restaurant nestled in the Himalayas, with no guests except the mountain and your memories?

Whatever local vegetables I could dig up cooked over an open fire.

If you had to write a dish that sums up your visit to Bangalore, what ingredients would go in?

Dosa with mango relish.

The Leela is often a destination for once-in-a-lifetime meals. When you’re cooking in a space like this, how do you channel that sense of occasion?

I cook the food I believe in—offering nutritiously delicious food is paramount to our dining experience. After all, we eat to fuel the body. Why not make it healthy as well as delicious?

When you taste a new dish—your own or someone else’s—do you first notice emotion or execution?

They go hand in hand.

What’s one dish you’ve never dared to serve, but still daydream about?

None that comes to mind, even though, paradoxically, the dishes can take months or years to come from conception to the menu.

Let’s say your food had a soundtrack. What three songs would always be playing behind the scenes?

“Wish You Were Here” by Pink Floyd

“Killing in the Name” by Rage Against the Machine (explicit warning)

“Get Funky” by Daft Punk

Do you ever get tired of perfection—and just crave a slice of toast with butter?

I don’t seek perfection—just that I try my best every day with the hope that tomorrow is even better.

Which kitchen mistake from your past turned out to be the best gift in disguise?

Putting a basil-coated spoon into coconut ice cream—so delicious.

If you had to collaborate with an Indian chef here in Bangalore, what kind of story would you want to tell through that menu?

I’d like to share a story of collaboration, and understanding of each other’s cultures and experiences.

You were a finalist on The Final Table—what did being on a global food show teach you that years in fine dining hadn’t?

There were many ingredients and dishes that I got to use and cook for the first time—it reinforced the idea that I still have so much to learn.

If this phase of your life was a course in a tasting menu, what would it be called—and would it be sweet, salty, or bittersweet?

It would be the cheese course, just before the dessert. After 40 years in the industry, I feel like I’ve achieved pretty much all I’ve wanted in my career. Now I’m just looking to have fun and have fun experiences like this collaboration at The Leela.

With thoughtful precision and sharp wit, Chef Shane Osborn brought a memorable spark to The Leela Palace Bengaluru, not only through his refined food but also through his perspectives. This collaboration at Le Cirque Signature wasn’t just another pop-up—it was a milestone in India’s fine dining evolution. For a city that’s steadily becoming a hotspot for global gastronomy, events like these remind us that Bengaluru is ready for the world, and the world is clearly taking note.