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London,
Fay Maschler's rating
Reader rating
Description: Delivering an innovative twist on the coastal cuisine of south-west India, Trishna London is the sister restaurant of Trishna in Mumbai which is widely acknowledged as one of the best seafood restaurants in the world. The philosophy behind Trishna is to deliver simple food with an authentic flavour of the Indian coastline in striking yet informal surroundings. The clean and minimalist feel of the restaurant is offset by tumbled marble, smoked oak, brickwork and glass. A casual, informal and sociable dining atmosphere prevails with great buzz and energy. Meanwhile, the menu showcases the freshest British seafood, meat and vegetables, and has a combination of the Mumbai restaurant's signature dishes as well as head chef Ravi Deulkar's fresh take on the culinary pleasures of the Indian coast.
Phone: +44 2079355624
Website: http://www.trishnalondon.com
Open: Open for lunch from 12:00 to 15:00 and dinner from 18:00 to 23:00, Tuesday to Saturday. Open for lunch from 12:00 to 15:30 and dinner from 18:30 to 22:30 on Sunday. Closed on Monday.
Tasteful but tame: the bland interior of Trishna and head chef Ravi Deulkar
Trishna, a scruffy restaurant in a rundown street in the old Bombay Fort district, is where le tout Mumbai go for Maharashtrian coastal cooking, although le tout Mumbai are these days doubtless claiming standards have fallen, since the restaurant is now such a badly kept secret.
I went to Trishna Mumbai a few years ago and marvelled at their preparation of Indian Ocean king crab and pomfret hariyali baked in the tandoor in a green masala. Reg yelped with delight on finding Bombay duck, that deep-sea lizardfish then banned in Blighty by the EU but now apparently legal again.
When we ordered king crab, a waiter appeared carrying an enormous creature criss-crossed with string, dangling it from his wrist like a handbag. The next time we saw it, it was burnished from the tandoor, cracked apart and seething in hot melted butter, garlic and crushed black pepper. The resulting rich, sweet-yet-fiery crabmeat was extraordinary.
Hearing that a branch of Trishna was opening in Marylebone didn’t make me think for one second that the Mumbai experience would be replicated, but what I hadn’t anticipated was quite how literally the owner would take the name of Blandford Street.
The decision to have only European staff working front-of-house seems at one with tame, tasteful décor where the proximity of a Farrow & Ball paint shop obviously proved irresistible. A colour that F&B probably call Gustavian Grey unites the wood panelling, plain brick and cement walls in the large premises (previously Verbanella Ristorante Italia) divided into two rooms joined by a bar.
Head chef Ravi Deulkar previously worked at Rasoi Vineet Bhatia and it is Bhatia’s highly evolved approach to Indian food that seems to have had more influence on him than any activity at the Sai Baba Marg address in Mumbai.
Portions are dainty — or stingy, depending on your viewpoint — and while that makes sense of the menu diktat to customers to choose one dish each from each of the three sections plus vegetables, rice and bread, it also makes for a sizeable bill.
Crabs from Cornwall are a very different kettle of crustacea to Indian Ocean king crabs. We were offered bibs but the little thing had already been fastidiously picked out. In trying to share it with a friend, that feeling of FHB (family hold back) came over me. The dish failed completely to convey the thrill of the original Trishna.
The Austrian manager said to think of pakora as similar to tempura (why?) which was quite tricky to do as chickpea flour makes a quite different batter to a mixture of corn and wheat flour. Whatever. The trio of vegetables, which included a clump of coriander leaves, were nicely, drily fried, as well they might be for £5.50.
Squid, our other choice, lost its squidditchness to the spicy batter. I was hoping for smokiness in chargrilled aubergine but pieces came just somewhat undercooked in a tomato masala. Wild tiger prawns in a mustard spice paste made us nostalgic for the Mumbai experience.
Coastal lamb curry cooked and served on the bone was served in a tantalisingly small amount but, renegades and cheapskates to the end, we were still trying to share. Two good vegetable dishes are roasted spiced potatoes and peas, beans and spinach stir-fried with mustard seeds and white lentils.
My advice is find a cheap flight to Mumbai (Jet Airways is good) and go to Trishna there. The service won’t be so polite, there is no Gruner Veltliner on the wine list, but the food is worth it.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
Being a Marylebone resident I find Maschlers comments completely ridiculous. She hasnt even eaten or mentioned the best dishes at the restaurant such as the hariyali bream the koliwada shrimp the chops the fish curry the hyderabadi tikka. This is primarily a seafood restaurant and she talking about veg pakoras and lamb curry and veg dishes. this is hopeless weak journalism by a critic who in my mind is past it and should make way for critics with an open mind and with a less 1950s view to modern london.
- Donald Juan Casa, London
Dear sir,
you have very good service in your Restaurants. I like very much service provider Mr. Rafique Ali. He very nice person. We'll come again and again b/c Mr. Rafique Ali and you have excellent food too....
God bless your restaurant & your whole team works.
very best regards
- Riaz, KARACHI PAKISTAN
I was shocked when I saw the negative reviews about Trishna. In my opinion I totally disagree with all this negativity. Food perfectly spiced and service was brilliant and of very high standard in comparision to other upmarket restaurants. I like the fact that almost all the ingredients have been sourced in the UK and would like to see more restaurant owners doing it. However, I will definately be back.
- Tom Springer, London
I am rather surprised at the negative comments that are put on this site.I have eaten at Trishna twice since its opening and found the food to be fresh ,innovative and an entirely new way to make Indian food acceptable to all and not just the chilli loving fraternity.All the dishes are delicately cooked and full of flavours,the squid,bream ,prawns ,chops,lamb curry were very akin to wholesome home cooking .The garlic butter crab is like nothing i have eaten in London and very well cooked,i dont think i will be going to Mumbai if such good quality and ingredients are available on my doorstep.Both my meals came to roughly £ 40 per head and for this location and setting i think this reasonable compared to some of esatablished up market Indian eateries.I would recommend you to try this very good new restaurant.
- Harvey P, London
delicious. Very exciting venue, interesting compinations of flavours and great drink and wine offer. As Indian as a high end restaurant in this category can be. Comparing Trishna in India with the one in London hmm, you can but then it is 1:0 for the outpost in the UK. Anyway give it a try and trust your own taste buds. I will be back.
- Mark Johnson, East London
Fay Maschler is being generous. Having eaten at the real place many times - with its intense, vivid, spicy, yet complex flavours, simple decor and earthy directness, this place is a travesty of the original.
Any resemblance is coincidental. The flavours are pallid, unimaginative, lacking in bite, and toned down. The environment is aspirational claustrophobic chic, and the staff out of their depth.
I will not be surprised if it will become a victim of the credit crunch
discernment of diners
- Tom Snell, London
I went this week for a business lunch, and my client and I enjoyed the meal thoroughly. Decor is uncompromising: not minimal - more like 'unrelenting'. A la carte bill for 2 at lunch is absurd (especially in the current climate) - probably 20% too high. The service at times was Fussy French. The cooking is on a par with say Benares - that is excellent, with the various spices explained, and recognisable. A variety of textures. I would not take the family - the bill would be over £250 for four. Next time, set lunch. But there are so many places in and around Blandford St that it might be a while...
- Lm, London, UK
Fay's advice to book a cheap flight to Mumbai would have been irritating at any time but coming after the carnage of the last few days it is simply darkly hilarious--I'm happy to say it's being spread all over the internet.
- Howard Schuman, London,UK
Hurrah - despite lots of positive reviews Fay echoes my thoughts entirely right down to the grey walls (we thought A&E). The food, despite portion size or bill size depending on which you focus, was extremely tasty and different enough from other London Indian restaurants to make you want to return (albeit, in a more convivial room)
- Jmc, london
