The Indian restaurant that’s less posh than Mayfair and more interesting than Brick Lane
Imagine Sloane Square and images of elegant al fresco brunch spots come to mind, the sorts of places where frighteningly large sums of money are spent without very much thought. Underground, a few minutes’ walk from the Tube, is Kahani, an Indian restaurant which feels surprisingly experimental and forward-thinking for an area that isn’t necessarily about that.
Don’t expect hipster up-cycled furnishings though, we’re still in Sloane Square. And yet, Kahani does occupy an interesting room. Exposed brick and double-height ceilings display the building’s past lives; an old underground wine cellar has been thoughtfully repurposed as part of the restaurant’s interior, and the rest of the space is warm and minimal which is hard to pull off. Think opulent banquettes in lush royal reds and brilliant blues.
Peter Joseph spent over a decade in the kitchen at Michelin-starred Tamarind restaurant in Mayfair before setting up this solo venture, open for lunch and dinner seven days per week. Pick from the a la carte, although we tried the three-course Dawat tasting menu, priced at £50 per person. Dishes favour lightness, with a best of British ingredients approach to creating Indian flavours.
More invention than Brick Lane, less wanky than Mayfair: Kahani near Sloane Square is the Indian restaurant to book
Joseph’s approach is refreshing – it’s great to be able to eat so many different Indian dishes without feeling uncomfortably full.
Plating feels more reminiscent of a restaurant focusing on seasonal British food: a trio of starters are dainty enough for us to try all three. They arrive together on one plate, which feels like a pronouncement about the restaurant’s ethos about flavour and variety. Lemongrass malai tikka is gently aromatic with coriander stem and plenty of ginger, a lamb seekh kebab came unusually – and intriguingly – with water chestnut and a swordfish in Bengal mustard with smoked cumin is a textural triumph on its bed of Kerala tapioca mash.
Mains are another wonderful onslaught: sides of perfect nan, rise and dal to mess up the plate, decorated this time with straightforward chargrilled chicken makhani in creamed tomato, and a well-balanced Karahi lamb masala with lashings of ginger and green pepper. By the end of our meal we were the only table in the restaurant late on a Sunday night, but staff never made us feel like it was anything other than 7pm on Saturday.
Not Mayfair-level wanky but more interesting than most of the famous curry houses of east London, Kahani is the Indian restaurant to book: its approach feels both distinctly British and Indian, but it bucks more than culinary trends: it’s exciting for Sloane Square too.
Go to kahanilondon.com