Best upmarket Indian food in London

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First we had the curry house, all pints of lager, flock wallpaper and agonisingly hot vindaloos. Then came the second wave of “posh Indian” with gourmet food, faux-French service and prices to match. Now, in the third wave of London's Indian dining scene, each restaurant has a personality of its own, serving contemporary and regional Indian cuisine in gorgeous surroundings. From cool to clubby, bling to Bollywood, here's where to find London's hottest new Indian food.

Dockmaster's House
going out for a curry will never be the same again thanks to this Canary Wharf newcomer. Diners sit in Philippe Starck chairs under an Italian designer lamp, sipping on biodynamic wines or a Tantric Tongue Twister cocktail. Chef Navin Bhatia's creative Indian dishes are very much of-the-moment, drizzled on trendy slates with artful smears of sauce and amuse bouche appetisers that could grace a Michelin-starred French restaurant.

Duck confit samosas (£7.50) and ginger lamb rack with cumin potatoes (a wonderfully spicy take on classic gratin dauphinoise, £23) aren't usual curry house fare but authentic flavours and bold spicing will convert traditionalists. Look out for Indian-style barbies planned for the terrace this summer.
West India Quay, 1 Hertsmere Road, E14 (020 7345 0345)

Bombay Brasserie
Back in 1982, when Indian food in England meant a Vesta curry and savoury rice or your local post-pub tandoori, Bombay Brasserie introduced London to the taste of real regional Indian food and an icon was born. The colonial-style classic was then put in the shade by the trendier spots, but this year it burst back on the scene after a dazzling refurbishment.

The new look has Raj grandeur in spades: plump chintzy chairs, leafy palms and a glass roof. From counter seating by the show kitchen you can watch chefs cook up jazzy new dishes such as corn soup with turmeric popcorn (£7), or lamb kebabs on sugarcane candies (£10.50). Paperwali machchi— fried monkfish wrapped in Bombay Brasserie newspaper (£23) — dips a nod to London's own culinary heritage.
Courtfield Close, Courtfield Road, SW7
(020 7370 4040)

Indali Lounge
Indali Lounge's millionaire owner Dr Kartar Lalvani (who made his fortune selling vitamins) reckons his is the world's healthiest Indian restaurant. They eschew butter, ghee and cream all together, instead opting for sunflower and olive oils with fresh herbs and spices to inject flavour. Even the naan bread is blended from barley, oat and wheat for extra fibre.

That may sound holier than thou, but there are also such treats as “utterly butterless” butter chicken (£9.80), low-fat lamb biryani (£12.40) and “lobster Bombay dreams” with a touch of Thai spice (£16.40). Undo the good deeds over a not-so-healthy mojito or martini at the bar.
50 Baker St, W1 (020 7224 2232)

Moti Mahal
bringing the bling to London's Indian restaurant scene, Moti Mahal has created a fantastic Bollywood Dinner And Dance package (£20pp) to inspire us to pile on the bangles and bindis and make some shapes before dinner. Every Tuesday night a trainer from Bollywood Grooves dance company puts a mixed bag of wannabe Aishwarya Rais through their paces in the blush-sparing privacy of the downstairs. After the 45-minute workout, enjoy three well-earned courses from Moti Mahal's menu. Try seafood tikki with ginger and chilli, spicy lamb curry with Goan sausage or apricot and cinnamon kulfi stick.
45 Great Queen Street, WC2 (020 7240 9329)

Trishna
Packed with stars of the silver screen and the cricket pitch, Trishna in Mumbai is The Ivy for the Bollywood set, only with extra spice. Now Londoners can try the iconic restaurant's seafood cuisine closer to home at Trishna's first overseas branch. Chef Ravi Deulkar pays homage to the original, but majors on the seasonal and sustainable seafood caught off the British Isles coast. Dishes include seared, diver-caught scallops with green chilli (£10.50), whole native lobster in garlic and black pepper marinade (£25) and Isle of Wight plaice with coastal spices (£11.50).
15-17 Blandford Street, W1 (020 7935 5624)

Mint Leaf Lounge
The clubbiest of the new Indian wave, Mint Leaf in Haymarket has gone one better for its second venture, Mint Leaf Lounge, by installing a knock-out 40ft cocktail bar along one side and a sexy champagne bar on the mezzanine. The impressive converted banking hall, formerly NatWest HQ, has enough space for a private dining room, bars, lounge and the sophisticated restaurant in black walnut and cream leather.

The food is equally dazzling. Chef Ajay Chopra impresses with luxurious dishes like oysters grilled with sea salt and Chettinad spice (£8/£15), and Goan-spiced rock lobster tails (£15/£23), as well as the “safer” options of chicken tikka (£8/£14) or grilled leg of lamb with mint and yoghurt (£9/£16). All dishes come in two sizes so guests can pick and mix.
12 Angel Court, Lothbury, EC2 (020 7600 0992)

 

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