Indian
Tamarind has recently undergone a ravishing, multimillion pound makeover. There are now two dining options when visiting this Mayfair Indian stalwart; upstairs for lunch or downstairs for dinner. Up (where we go) is a rather bright and airy affair with views of the neighbouring rooftops. In the basement it’s more sexy with an open kitchen for added drama. We’re prepared a mini tasting of highlights from … Continue reading Tamarind Mayfair
Kricket in Brixton, housed in a shipping container serving Indian small plates, was bloody brilliant. Like seriously so. Friends Will Bowlby (kitchen) and Rik Campbell (front of house) seemed to have a winning combo of fantastic food and great vibes. They’ve since opened a far swankier spot in Soho, or arguably Piccadilly, on Denman Street. It is predominantly walk-ins only and it’s counter seating overlooking … Continue reading Kricket, Soho
The guys behind Masala Zone know a wee bit about Indian food; they also own Michelin starred Veeraswamy and Amaya along with Chutney Mary, a pretty impressive collection of restaurants. There are currently 7 Masala Zones, which are a more casual offering. We visit their Covent Garden one, opposite the Royal Opera House, for dinner and it’s absolutely packed. The space has just had a … Continue reading Masala Zone, Covent Garden
You’ve heard of Indian small plates (Kricket / Gunpowder), well now we’ve got Indian half plates and it comes from a new restaurant on Shaftesbury Avenue called Talli Joe, opposite Nisbets and that fancy dress shop. Inside it’s a fairly simple space with lots of bright pink quotes and sayings against the black walls – it could feel a bit naff but along with a … Continue reading Talli Joe, Shaftesbury Avenue
Ever since a visit to Kricket in Brixton, I’ve fallen in love with ‘Indian small plates’ – I could easily say I tried some of the best Indian food I’ve ever eaten. It’s hard then not to compare Gunpowder to Kricket. Both are tiny, both serve Indian small plates and both are very popular. Due to the size, unless you’re super early, the wait can … Continue reading Gunpowder, Spitalfields
Kricket is an Indian small plate restaurant and is the brainchild of two handsome chaps; chef Will Bowlby and front of house Rik Campbell. It’s in a newish part of Brixton called Pop, a collection of sea containers with bars, sit down restaurants and street food a plenty. Being a shipping container, there are hardly any seats and it’s all shared on two long benches. … Continue reading Kricket, Brixton
I never made it to Chutney Mary when it resided in Chelsea (what is now Masala Grill) but I’d always heard lovely things about their indulgent Indian classics. I was excited then to hear it was moving to St James’s, an area far more accessible to the masses. It’s a plush affair from the minute the impeccably dressed doorman lets you into the lavish bar … Continue reading Chutney Mary, St James’s
This is the first Masala Grill in London, and it comes from the group who own Amaya, Veeraswamy and Masala Zone. It replaces the ever popular Chutney Mary, which has now moved to a swanky new spot in St James’s. It’s not the easiest of restaurants to get to; slap bang in the middle between Sloane Square and Fulham Broadway. It has a beautiful and … Continue reading Masala Grill, Chelsea
After a recent visit to Tayyabs, a few people had suggested I also try Lahore to get my Indian/Pakistani lamb chop fix. It’s an interesting spot with two dining rooms; one which smelled of farts and the other, with a giant flat screen playing football – I don’t know which is worse! Everything felt like it needed a good Dettol. I wouldn’t exactly give the … Continue reading Lahore Kebab House, Whitechapel
Tayyabs is one of those Indian restaurants (@HollowLegs rightly pointed out that it’s actually Pakistani!) that everyone raves about, mainly for the lamb chops, so I thought it was time I popped down a side street off the Whitechapel Road (a rarity for me) to try it out. The place is staggeringly massive; there are dining rooms galore, all packed full with tables and punters. … Continue reading Tayyabs, Whitechapel
Based in Holborn, sorry Midtown, The Rosewood is easily one of London’s finest hotels. From the minute you walk into the courtyard, past the fire pit and into the copper-clad corridor (that’s over a million pounds-worth of copper FYI) you can’t fail to be impressed. It is also home to one of London’s finest bars; Scarfes Bar named after the artist, Gerald Scarfe, who’s paintings … Continue reading Scarfes Bar, The Rosewood
I’m a bit late to the Dishoom party, their casual Indian food at high street prices has seen them grow to three sites in a short space of time. We thought we’d pop our Dishoom cherry in the newest one, based in Granary Square in King’s Cross (home to Grain Store and Caravan). There was a lovely aroma of Indian food/incense in the air as … Continue reading Dishoom, King’s Cross
Verandah is an Indian restaurant based in Copenhagen which is co-owned by the Sethi family (of Trishna and Gymkhana fame) and a chap called Claus Meyer who’s the co-founder of Noma. To be honest, I was slightly relieved when I received an invitation to dine there during our holiday, as berries and leaves were starting to grow a little tiresome. The restaurant is based in … Continue reading Verandah, Copenhagen
Located in Knightsbridge, Amaya is a Michelin starred Indian restaurant by the same people as Veeraswamy, Chutney Mary and Masala Zone. After a recent incredible meal at Indian restaurant Gymkhana, I was really excited to see what Amaya had to offer – but sadly the whole experience from start to finish was a total disappointment. The restaurant was an attractive space which was flooded with … Continue reading Amaya, Knightsbridge
I’d heard many a good thing about Mayfair based Gymkhana, an Indian restaurant by the people behind Michelin starred Trishna. We’d had a cracking meal at their sister restaurant so I had high hopes for our lunch – and we left far from disappointed. The ground floor dining room had a touch of colonial India about it with 1920’s music playing in the background. There … Continue reading Gymkhana, Mayfair
