Posh Spice

Tucked away at the end of a King’s Road tributary, within a Georgian townhouse, there’s something of a private member’s club feel to this Michelin starred Indian restaurant.
The fact you have to ring the doorbell to gain entry only adds to this experience, whilst suggesting that “passing trade” is not something this business survives on.

We were shown upstairs to our table, one of three in a small room that would once have been a back bedroom. The walls were tastefully adorned with various Indian artefacts and pieces of original artwork, and from outside the window came the sound of birds chirping.

The room next door (would have been the front bedroom) was this evening being used for a private party of 10 or 12 people and it seemed like an excellent little space for this. Downstairs was a much larger dining room/conservatory which was more modern but still with an intimate feeling, probably lovely on a summer’s evening.

To get the best overview of what the restaurant had to offer, we both decided to go with the 7-course tasting menu, or “Gourmand” for £75. In addition we upgraded this to include the wine selection – 6 glasses paired with 6 of the courses for an additional £49.

I’m a big fan of these offerings, partly for the “performance” they tend to provoke from both chef and waiting staff, partly because you get to try loads of different dishes, and partly for the fact they make one’s dinner a drawn out affair, and what could be better than that?

The wine pairing proved to be a really worthwhile option,
complimenting each dish like an adoring fan, the Sommelier
introducing each wine like a performer in a concert…. “First up we have the Grüner Veltliner ‘Gottschelle’ 2006, from Austria, a wine produced by Benedictine Monks…”.

The selection was exclusively “old world”, consistently excellent, and included some lesser known gems like the Cotes du Jura Vieilles Vignes “Les Grandes Teppes” 2004.