‘Kitchen Nightmares’: Is Diwan Still Open?

There’s nothing quite like seeing Gordon Ramsay verbally obliterate someone’s restaurant in Kitchen Nightmares — before making it better, of course. After his visit, lots of yelling, and a new and improved design and menu, the restaurants typically gain a new chance at becoming the next hot place in town.

One of the places that stood out for many viewers last season was Diwan. In case you need a little reminder, Diwan was an Indian restaurant in Port Washington, New York. There was a small detail that made this restaurant different from all other Indian places: it also ran a Mexican restaurant out of the same kitchen called Loco a few months prior. And yes, both restaurants had the same chef.

After Ramsay’s visit in June 2023 (though the episode aired in December), the restaurant underwent a major transformation. New safety measures were implemented, a new menu featuring a whole new streamline of dishes was created, and a stunning redesign of the place was finally completed. But is the restaurant still open today, or did it not survive the owner’s stubbornness?

Is Diwan from Kitchen Nightmares open?

Diwan, the Indian restaurant from the season 8 finale, is indeed still open. With overwhelmingly positive Yelp reviews, Diwan currently has an average rating of 4.1. However, according to several Reddit users, the restaurant has reverted some of Ramsay’s changes. One of the main criticisms from the world-renowned chef was that the food proved to be bland, lacking the Indian authenticity that Bobby, the owner, had been striving for when he first opened the restaurant.

After changing the menu and recipes, the food allegedly became better than ever. However, according to various online sources, Bobby quickly reverted to his old menu. “Bobby claimed that his return customers weren’t loving Gordon’s recipes and were requesting old favorites,” one user said, adding that Ramsay’s menu had lasted a total of “four days.” One user commented that Bobby had never taken “the revamp seriously.”

At the same time, one of Ramsay’s biggest challenges was to keep Bobby away from the kitchen, instead placing him in front of the restaurant as the owner. It seems Bobby kept his word and is indeed working in the front of the house, according to the same Reddit user. “Bobby was in the front of the house,” the user said, admitting that “in all my years of visiting Diwan, I had no idea he was the owner.” At least we can never blame Bobby for not being involved with his business.

Undeniably, one of the episode highlights was Fernandes, the waiter. Soon enough, Diwan’s waiter quickly became one of Kitchen Nightmares‘ best participants, praised for his passion, kindness, enthusiasm, and for being absolutely witty and hilarious. Many fans wished for Gordon to eventually bring Fernandes into one of his restaurants, but it seems his passion has not left Diwan, and he continues to work at the Indian restaurant.

So if you’re hoping to see Fernandes and perhaps eat a good, seasoned meal — albeit not Gordon’s— you can still head to Port Washington.