|
2012 welcomes Cinnamon Soho, the third restaurant from
executive chef Vivek Singh.
When we first entered Cinnamon Soho, we were surprised to see it
had an entrance at either side, which we felt took away slightly from the intimate
setting of the venue. That said, the cuisine more than made up for this.
Perfect for a first date or a catch up with friends, the venue is set between
Kingly Street and Carnaby Street, and with its cool and chic decor, we felt
removed from the hustle and bustle outside. What’s more, it’s well spaced by
West End standards.
We were offered a seat at the bar and the specially-created
World Pride cocktail combo -- ‘Cock-tail and Balls’ (see what they did there?)
-- which were made up of crab-cake balls, tiny potato bondas, beef shami kebab
and tiny scotch quail eggs, all perfectly moist and marble-sized. These were
encased in different batters, each served on delectable chutneys, and were washed
down by a sassy Soho Berry Lemonade that quenched my thirst and left me wanting
another (so we did).
For my starter we chose the cumin and coriander crusted
mushroom on toast which was absolutely delicious and gave us a taste of what
was to come.
To appease my salivating we opted for the Old Delhi-style
Tandoori fenugreek chicken which certainly lived up to its reputation. Albeit
slightly on the smaller side of a portion, in this case it was about quality,
not quantity. The fusion of the chicken with the pilaf rice engulfed our palette
and it was not long before our plate was cleared and were already picking out
my dessert (the chocolate and cumin cake with pistachio
ice-cream, which was as divine as it sounds).
Head Chef Ramachandran Raju has done a wonderful job at
infusing east and west with an exciting nod to British favourites.
Being a slightly newer venue, there are a few tricks
Cinnamon Soho could learn but we would certainly give it another try. Whether it
be for a date or a working lunch, it seems to cater for most settings.
5 Kingly Street, London, W1B 5PF
Average £28 per head
www.cinnamonsoho.com
or 0207 4371664
|