Jamavar

"You wouldn’t believe how many times we’ve walked passed this restaurant and taken in the amazing aromas. Well on saturday we finally went in for the first time and I can now promise you we will never ever walk past again. The food created by chef Surender and his team was absolutely stunning and matched by excellent service from one of the friendliest teams I’ve ever met. The restaurant is on Mount Street which is just a ten minute walk from Bond Street station. As we approached we could already smell those wonderful aromas so we couldn’t wait to get inside. We entered to receive a fabulous welcome from Sumala who it was a pleasure to chat to throughout our visit. She escorted us to our table and left us with the drinks menu. My wife started with the Quencher - hapusa gin , rosemary , olive , orange bitter and tonic. For myself I chose the Vintage Negroni - strangers & sons gin , cinnamon infused campari and antica formula. While enjoying our cocktails we were presented with the menu’s. These consisted of a Lunch , A La Carte or our choice of the Six Course Tasting Menu which I can now say at £105 was excellent value for money and believe me you will leave feeling full and satisfied. The menu started with a Tellicherry Pepper and Garlic Soft Shell Crab accompanied by a plum chutney , garlic chips and homemade garlic pickle. I can tell you now this dish was incredible with flavours I never experienced before. This was followed by the Lobster Idli Sambhar a black pepper spiced lobster with rice lentil cakes and a vegetable stew that was quite simply delicious. The dishes just kept getting better and better in the form of the next course a Malai Stone Bass Tikka with mace , green cardamom , avocado and mint chutney. The following three courses you were given a choice. This started with the fourth course. My wife chose the Kuti Mirchi Ka Tikka - chicken morsels , chilli , pickled radish and yoghurt. I opted for the Adraki Lamb Chop with royal cumin , fennel , ginger and carrot salad. My wife absolutely loved her dish and I can honestly say I’ve never tasted a lamb chop like it. As I told our waiter Yogy who was very engaging throughout that the lamb was my dish of the day. Now it was time for the main course. Here we had the Malvani Prawn Curry with king prawns , coconut milk , tamarind and a traditional malvan spice mix. The other main dish was the Old Delhi Butter Chicken with suffolk corn-fed , chargrilled pulled chicken , tomato and fenugreek. These were accompanied by jamavar dal , palak paneer as well as unlimited pulao rice and mixed breads. My wife loved the prawn curry and the butter chicken was amazing. I can easily say that the flavour combinations of each dish were incredible leaving your palette dancing with joy. I enjoyed the main course with a delicious and creamy Mango Lassi. After a nice little break we moved on to desserts. Here we shared the Chocolate Bounty of valrhona milk chocolate , coconut , chocolate crumble and cardamom cream as well as the Kesar Mango Rasmalai with wheat biscuit , alphonso mango cream and berry chutney. We finished with a glass of port and an Imperial Old Fashioned with rampur indian single malt , amaro montenegro , salted honey and mumbai bitters. This brought to an end an absolutely stunning lunch. The food was incredible , the cocktails were a delight and the service was so friendly that made you feel like one of their family. They were always interested in what you thought about each dish and really couldn’t do enough for you. If you love indian food then I would highly recommend a visit here where I can honestly say you will not be disappointed. We as we told the team will definitely be back again sooner rather than later. Thank You to all the team for an amazing dining experience and look forward to seeing you again soon."

"Surprising rudeness & disinterest from the maitre d' or manager. Aside the food & the surroundings the hospitality, or lack of promise of it, are key features of any dining offering. Having taken an interest to read the menus of Jamavar before visiting to view the dining room in the evening with a view to perhaps eating there in the future, I was confronted with a manager who was rude, off-hand, & tried to walk away from me twice when I was talking to him, & delegated the task of showing the lower floor dining room to a youngster. A disinterested host unconcerned about alienating custom. It says on the Jamavar website, 'Celebrated for its gracious hospitality, inviting atmosphere, & beautiful surroundings inspired by the Viceroy's House in New Delhi, the acclaimed restaurant is a rendition of a palatial Indian dining experience in the heart of Mayfair.' That is hardly what you will find in the Mayfair restaurant. The surroundings on the ground floor are fairly standard & the lower ground restaurant is worse. It seems being Michelin starred, if that is what it is, is no guarantee of a good mannerly or gracious greeting. And the business card thrust into my hand by the youngster as I left, who spoke not with an Indian accent but with an Eastern European accent, was worn & crumpled not even pristine. I hope I have not spoiled too much any imaginings you may have of dining in a place reminiscent of the Viveroy's House in New Delhi."

"Posh Indian. Was very nice. Is it any different to many others that have sprung up to justify the price? "