London’s Indian food scene continues to innovate. With Michelin stars galore, experimental takes on old classics, and gorgeous restaurants with stylish interiors, here’s where to feast like a modern-day maharaja in the capital city.
Kanishka
Brand new to London’s affluent Mayfair neighborhood is the buzzy Kanishka. Designed to showcase the cuisine of India’s more remote territories and in particular, the northeast’s Seven Sister States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura and Mizoram, Kanishka is worth the build up. From the mind and heart of celebrity chef and cookbook author Atul Kochhar (whose previous experience includes stints at famed foodie institutions like Benares and Tamarind Mayfair), Kanishka will no doubt quickly get a reputation for its fabulous cocktail list in addition to its delicious food offering. Don’t miss signature drinks like the sweet Roast Banana Old Fashioned, crafted with tandoor roasted banana, cinnamon, maple, and pecan bitters or the savory Mezcal-based Ingrita, which is served with an accompaniment of cold and spicy tomato broth. There’s also an impressive whiskey list boasting brands sourced from India like single malt Amrut. In terms of food, the seafood curry (pictured above) is sensational, and it’s hard to order wrong when every dish sings.
The Cinnamon Club
Housed in a former Westminster library that still retains its book-lined walls and sense of quiet prestige, The Cinnamon Club is a hotspot on London’s Indian fine dining circuit. Again, the cocktails here compete to steal the show. Try the Cinnamon Bellini, the Mango & Thyme Gimlet, or have a go at the well-curated tableside gin trolley.
Tamarind Mayfair
Tamarind Mayfair is actually the first Indian restaurant in the UK to be granted a Michelin star, and it also just re-opened after an extensive eight-month refurb. Guests can now look forward to an impressive open-plan kitchen and glossy new dishes like Tandoori Quail with caramelized gooseberry or Tandoori Prawn Balchao with spicy and tangy chili marinade.
Benares
Mayfair’s chic Benares is also Michelin starred. Expect vibrant and contemporary Indian dishes made with Britain’s finest ingredients, as well as well-dressed interiors with handcrafted furniture and chill vibes.
Quilon
With one Michelin star, Belgravia’s Quilon dishes up fresh and punchy southwest coastal Indian dishes designed to be shared. And the food isn’t the only work of art to feast on: Quilon’s handsome, refined dining room is bedecked with specially commissioned watercolors by acclaimed Indian artist Paresh Maity.
Gymkhana
Michelin-starred Gymkhana is just one restaurant in the impressive empire of restaurants by the Sethi siblings. Though this fan favorite opened in 2013, it’s already something of a modern-day classic, and there’s always a reason to return. This spring, try new dishes like the Kundapur Masala Broccoli with roasted peanut chutney or the Mangalorean Guinea Fowl Pulimunchi served with a benne dosa.
