Kensington, Indian Restaurant Guide

The cute location is a highlight of this “hidden gem”, obscurely tucked away in a plush Kensington backstreet, where the Indian food is “solid and great value for money”. (It’s actually part of a chain of four, but there’s scant feedback on its siblings in Little Venice, Barnes and Kingston).

“I have yet to find the person who does not absolutely love Dishoom!” – Shamil and Kavi Thakrar’s “must-visit chain” remains our poll’s most-commented-on group, on the strength of its “exceptional” homage to the Irani cafés of Bombay. “A sense of nostalgia for a vanished India and quirky colonial notices add to the fun” of its “cool”, “evocative” branches, where “outstanding staff, even when very busy” (which is to say always) preside over “borderline hectic” conditions with great verve and efficiency. The “slightly different Indian food” (“with spice rather than heat”) is “far better than it has any right to be” given the volumes it’s served in… “superb”… “so consistent” and “extremely fairly priced” too. The “left field” breakfast menu is famous nowadays, and “awesome bacon and egg naan rolls” have “redefined what brekkie is all about” for many Londoners. Founded in 2010, they will hit six branches in London in 2022, with a big (355 covers) new Canary Wharf outlet, complete with a bar and terrace overlooking the docks. On the downside, bookings at all the outlets are restricted and “queues are half way down the street”. “It’s worth it though!!”. Top Menu Tips – “Finally got to try the black dal… a big hug in a bowl” that’s “to die for” and “Ruby Murray is a family favourite”. And, with their burgeoning delivery business, “the fact you can now order the Bacon Naan for home consumption is a wonderful, wonderful thing”.

The “beautiful dining room” (“an old bank building”) hosts a menu inspired by the historic royal cuisine of Lucknow, at this smart restaurant near Kensington Gardens. It “never seems to make it into the ‘top’ lists”, unlike its highly rated stablemate Tamarind in Mayfair, “but the modern cooking never disappoints and is of the highest quality”.