Harden's survey result
Summary
The “wonderful”, “very delicate South Indian food” in this smart hotel venue near Buckingham Palace is “so much better than at the more ‘popular’ Indian restaurants about town”, and comes with “lovely wine pairings and great service”. Founding chef Sriram Aylur has remained in post since 1999, guiding a coastal-inspired menu to ‘evolve without losing its soul’. “The decor is drab” (a consistent complaint over many, many years) “but the excellent food and no tipping policy keep you coming back”.
Summary
In a plush hotel near Buckingham Palace, this “very classy” dining room “focuses on dishes from southern India’s coastal areas, especially seafood” (“they also go out of their way to feed vegans in style”), all delivered with a “subtle” touch. Running the kitchen since 1999, Sriram Aylur has earned the right to be regarded as one of the capital’s elite subcontinental chefs. A recurring gripe, though, concerns the uneventful decor and “stuffy atmosphere”.
Summary
“Delicate flavours” from dishes rooted in southwest Indian coastal cuisine establish this blandly luxurious hotel venue, near Buckingham Palace, as “the most interesting of London’s Indians” for some of its fans. You wouldn’t go there for riotous ambience though, particularly in the “gloomy back of the dining room”. Top Tip – “the set lunch menu is great value considering its location” and there’s also a “great weekend brunch”.
Summary
“Superb, delicate and fragrant cuisine” from Kerala in southwest India, has been a top attraction for more than 20 years at this luxurious but muted hotel dining room in St James’s, run by the luxury Taj Group (and still under founding chef Sriram Aylur). Seafood dishes are particularly good, and there’s a tasting menu matched with beers. Top Tip – “weekend brunch is super value”.
For 34 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at Quilon?
41 Buckingham Gate, London, SW1E 6AF
Restaurant details
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £34.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £3.00 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Bread | £0.00 |
| Service | 10.00% |
41 Buckingham Gate, London, SW1E 6AF
Opening hours
| Monday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑10 pm |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑10 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑10 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑10 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑10 pm |
| Saturday | 12:30 pm‑3:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Sunday | 12:30 pm‑3:30 pm, 5:45 pm‑10:30 pm |
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