Farzi Café, London

2019 has been the year of the neo Indian restaurant. One could get arithmetic fatigue tallying up all of the recent launches, cluttering the capital with aloo tikki and smoked goat shoulder curry. But that's not to say that more aren't welcome, and we were particularly keen to try Farzi Café when it opened its doors on Haymarket. The modern spice bistro is offering modernist interpretations of Indian cuisine, having already blazed a trail of successes in the Punjab and the Middle East, with over 30 restaurants opened by Massive Restaurants. We dropped in on the Eid feast at their first London venture, and weren't disappointed. 

The dining room is a rather chic affair with enough brass fittings to pique the envy of Jay Gatsby including a striking array of brass pendant lights illuminating long tables with golden-hued banquettes. There's a rather glitzy island bar where classic cocktails are given subcontinental twists as well as a wall of flickering electronic tea lights. We settled in with the Libra and Scorpio cocktails and snacked on pani poori with coriander water and tamarind as well as Udupi paneer popcorn with karram podi. 

The food was exceptionally on point. Seared scallops with Dorset crab sukka and chicory salad smouldered with spices. Dal chawal arancini with achaar papad chutney was an interesting take on the famously Italian suppli, while chicken tikka were perfectly flame licked. The main event was indubitably the slow-roasted lamb shoulder with apricot, shoestring potatoes and Zarda pulao rice, which was honestly one of the best roasts we've ever tried. It found the perfect accompaniment in double butter dal makhani, and the perfect denoument to the meal in a Srikhand 'air' cheesecake and especially a chocolate chai bubble with chocolate truffle, vanilla and chocolate compote.

All in, Farzi Café is well worth a visit.

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