Lunch Mon–Sun midday–3pm; dinner Mon–Sat 6.30pm–11.30pm, Sun 6.30pm–10.30 pm
Closed for Christmas from 23 Dec until 5 Jan
The blurb
‘Thali restaurant provides a dining experience of authentic North Indian cuisine, in comfortable, relaxed surroundings. Our menus are based on recipes handed down through three generations, developed and enhanced by Head Chef Dila Ram.’
The style
Cool, quirky modern Indian. Think bare brick walls, fabulous posters of Bollywood movies lent an arthouse air by stark black frames, and half a rickshaw, glorious with bright embroidered silks, hovering over the stairs that lead down to the more traditionally appointed Thali Lounge—‘a perfect place to relax with a drink and enjoy our North Indian canapes and tasting menus’. Or, as my husband called it, ‘the overflow restaurant’—because, quite simply, the food is so good that the supply/demand ratio here is always going to veer towards the latter.
The crowd
In-the-know locals, and not-so-locals. On the Thursday we visited, it was as South Ken as South Ken could be, with glib City boys trying to impress girls with Richard Ward hair, and the bonus of a supra-tanned American silver fox at the next table talking about the movie business and keeping us guessing. From Monday to Wednesday, according to the charming proprietor, there’s an influx of business travellers from nearby Earls Court and Olympia Exhibition Centres—a rare treat, one imagines, for these fabled itinerants.
The food
Really, really good. My starter of Prawn Balchao (tiger prawns seasoned with Goan masala) could not, by any stretch of the imagination, be described as North Indian, but it was so very yummy, the tangy-hot masala perfectly complementing—without overpowering—the sweet, plump crustaceans, that I shall let it slide. My husband’s Venison Bukhara Kebab—finely minced game, heady with saffron, ginger and garlic, also hit the spot.
A thoroughly delicious Palak Chaat was a wonderful contrast of flavours and textures: spinach fried until crisp with tempered spices, sweet creamy yoghurt, the piquant burst of juicy ruby pomegranate seeds. My Lamb Rogan Josh was better than I’ve tasted anywhere, the meat rich and tender, the deeply savoury sauce lifted with the kick of red chilli and fresh coriander. Him indoors enjoyed his Honey Lemon Duck (‘cubes of duck breast in a sweet and delicate honey and lemongrass sauce’) so much that all he could murmur was ‘lovely’, ‘delicious’ and ‘mmmm’ between mouthfuls.
This is an interesting and ambitious menu, and I plan to return to try scallops with cream and cherry tomatoes, baby lamb with beetroot, and whole tandoori partridge. Dila Ram has a confident and proficient hand—it really is extremely good, and I’m happy to add my voice to the claim on Thali’s website that it is ‘voted one of London’s top Indian restaurants by London’s top critics and chefs’.
The drinks
If money were no object, you could have a lot of fun with the long, well-chosen list, which encompasses some fabulous vintages (Aile D’ȃrgent 2009, Chateau Mouton Rothschild, at £131.00, Penfolds Grange Hermitage 1999, at a fairly eye-watering £385.00). If a City bonus is unlikely to be bringing a smirk to your smug face at the end of the year, there is still plenty of choice to be had, especially in the mid-ranges—Chablis 1er Cru Vau De Vey 2012, Domaine De Malandes, at £47.00, Sancerre 2013, Domaine Vacheron, at £49.00, Châteauneuf-du-Pape Pierre Amadieu 2011, at £47.00…
That said, we were more than happy with our La Scala Pinot Grigio at £19, followed by a smooth, mellow Merlot from the Languedoc—also at £19: you really don’t need to spend a fortune here to eat and drink like kings.
