Kutir - Chelsea, London

We've been following Rohit Ghai doggedly from top-end restaurant to top-end restaurant. The superstar Indian chef has blazed a trail across London's foodie firmament, winning a devoted following at both Gymkhana and Jamavar, two of Mayfair's strongest subcontinental contenders. These days, you'll find him at his own restaurant - Kutir - nestled just off of Sloane Square on quiet Lincoln Street. You'll find nothing quiet about his cooking…

Situated in a Georgian townhouse, there's a certain drawing room vibe about the dining room. Large bay windows let in lashings of natural light, which plays off the parquet flooring, chandeliers and many mirrors spread throughout. We took our seats at an intimate marble table and sipped cocktails. The Bagh was teeming with El Jimador tequila reposado, Italicus, agave, fresh mango, camomile foam and pink peppercorn while the Neelamber was an elegant blend of Portobello Road gin, Ketel One botanical peach and orange, St Germain, bitter truth violet and fresh lemon. Following this, a bottle of MacMurray Vineyards pinot noir played nicely with all of the dishes that followed. 

Ghai's cooking flourishes with flavour. The Prawns masala absolutely pop, rendered day-glow red with spice and strewn with coconut sesame and roscoff onion. Lamb tandoori chops are juiciness incarnate, lashed with black cumin and served with sprouts, onion and yoghurt. Aloo tikki smoulders - two crispy potato cakes are stacked upon each other with a cooling honey yoghurt as well as a tamarind and mint chutney. The chicken tikka masala was a force of nature and quite possibly the best we've ever had, spiked with Kashmiri chilli, tomatoes and fenugreek. A dessert of Valhrona chocolate with banana crisp and chilli hit all the right notes.

There have been a lot of high-end Indian restaurants launching of late but this one takes the cake. Go try Rohit Ghai's cooking at Kutir. 

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