In summary: Loved it!
Was looking for casual Indian Food in the St. James's Park area and all the usual spots that popped up were old school and on the expensive side. I really did not want higher end, white table cloth dining. I wanted casual, great food where I could put my elbows on the table. This is about a 12 min walk from the Park and is in the ground floor of The Wellington Hotel. It showed up on an electronic, diligent search of the area but I noted that it was not yet in Yelp. Decided to take one for the team and try it for dinner so here is the review.
There is a full and nicely appointed bar, front and center when you enter. They take online reservations and we're ready for my party on time. The staff are very gracious and we felt welcomed. The entrance is such that it fronts the main road and you would really not know it is a hotel-associated restaurant. It had good window views and a casual eatery vibe with prompt and helpful table service.
The menu was nicely laid out with a good assortment of adult and N.A. beverages, starters, and mainstay Indian dishes that most will recognize. I really liked that price points were not stratospheric and that the servers knew the menu well and took the time to explain it without seeming to be in a rush. They were also not pushy with any upsell items and talked us through what some of their favorites were.
A word to the wise is that there is a special Tiffin Box option on the menu which I glossed over but did not really consider ordering until it was explained to me. A Tiffen Box is a tiered, metallic Indian lunch box and ordering this allows you to order 3 separate items to try different things. It arrives in a Tiffen and comes with Basmati Rice, some Naan, and a Pappadam as well as 2 of their mains. The portions are smaller than ordering a la carte dishes but it really was a great way to experience their menu and I would not hesitate to order that again.
The food was fantastic especially for the price point. My party had no regrets about any of what we ordered. Spice levels were appropriate but kicked up a bit from what I can get at home and the meal was quite tasty. I think that the difference is in the use of higher-quality spices. This was a real make-up the palate treat compared to what I am used to. The accompanying chutneys were profound and everyone at the table was quite happy with the shared meal.
This nice addition to the neighborhood opened only recently. it was plenty busy but not line out the door crazy which made the dining experience there even more pleasant. And yes, it was casual enough that I did not feel it to be stuffy and no one scolded me about my elbows on the table! It is minutes away from the St. James's Park area and I can easily give this a very high recommendation all around. And now that I know it is there, I have a new spot to add to my area favorites when I am back in town. read more