Dinner at Tamarind Kitchen, Soho
(AD: This review is sponsored by OpenTable but all opinions are my own)
It’s been a while since I’ve visited Soho, an eclectic neighbourhood in central London that I often frequented in my early twenties. So much has changed since I moved away during the pandemic, and new shops, bars and restaurants line the streets as I walk towards tonight’s destination.
Tamarind Kitchen is an upmarket Indian restaurant based on Wardour Street - just a short walk away from Tottenham Court Road station. Inside, the restaurant’s dark wooden interiors are reminiscent of a branch of Dishoom, and lit with ambient lighting. The staff are attentive, and the scent of fragrant spices fills the room. It all has a luxurious feel about it, I thought, as I settled into my chair and peered at the menu.
Originating in Mayfair, Tamarind Kitchen serves up an award winning menu, with their sister restaurant holding the title of the first Indian restaurant in London to receive a Michelin star. It’s an impressive accolade, and I was excited to try the food for myself.
The menu itself is extensive, and ranges from succulent Awadhi kababs, creamy South Indian curries, and meat and seafood from the Tandoor. They also have a set pre-theatre and tasting menus, and an extensive drinks selection including wine and cocktails. As a vegetarian, I felt that I had plenty to choose from and the set menus even had alternatives for non-meat eaters.
To start, my companion and I opted for the Raj Kachori to share. A new dish for both of us, I really enjoyed the sweetness of the pomegranate seeds, something that I haven’t tried in Indian food before, perfectly complimented the spiced potatoes. Our mains arrived shortly after; I ordered the Nizami Vegetable Kofta Curry with rice, and my friend settled on the Old Delhi Butter Chicken with Naan. We also added the Jaipuri Aloo - crispy baby potatoes tossed with spices - to share which arrived along with our main course.
As someone who is used to, and enjoys spicy food, I found my curry to be perfectly balanced. It was nicely spiced, but not so much that it overpowered the rest of the dish. The curry was also served with a number of vegetable dumplings which were, again, something new to me, but I found them to be delicious. My friend also enjoyed her butter chicken, which is one of her go-to choices when visiting an Indian restaurant. We shared the Jaipuri Aloo and thoroughly enjoyed it - I’d never say no to a dish of spiced potatoes!
Something to bear in mind when visiting Tamarind Kitchen is that their portion sizes tend to be quite small. If you have the budget, it’s best to order extra like we did, as you might just find that you manage it all in one sitting. I found myself feeling pleasantly full, and my friend had some leftover curry that the restaurant boxes up so she could take it home.
After peering at the dessert menu we reluctantly decided against ordering any further food. The selection looked great, however, ranging from cheesecake and ice cream to a number of teas, dessert wines and other tipples.
We left Tamarind Kitchen full and content, and I’d highly recommend visiting for a delicious Indian meal. Do bear in mind that, while the food and service were immaculate, the portions do tend to be on the small size, which makes it a slightly pricy restaurant to visit.
To book a table, simply visit the OpenTable website and create an account. I love that OpenTable offers a rewards programme that gives members points for every meal that’s booked through their website. It’s free to sign up and the points can be redeemed at a variety of restaurants in their network.
You can also click here to view their list of bookable restaurants in Soho.
A huge thank you to OpenTable for sponsoring this post!