As soon as you walk into Cinnamon Bazaar, the smell of delicious Indian food in the air and a warm glow courtesy of their very clever colour scheme, engulfs you. This is ‘modern’ Indian food – a fairly new concept, rivalling the classic chicken tikka massala and the decor which always involves thick red velvet, heavy furniture and patterned carpets.
Cinnamon Bazaar is a world away. Stylish, with huge windows, high tables with stools, a big bar area and then, potted plants, silk lanterns, hanging red ribbons… Imagine yourself in the outdoor courtyards where Indian families would gather together and share their food and that’s the feeling you get right now. That, but with Central London on the doorstep.
The night I visited was particularly cold. I had to wrap up in hat, scarf and coat, and yet the weather hadn’t put off any one of the diners at Cinnamon Bazaar, with the restaurant looking particularly packed. Before I had even ordered food, I was confident I was onto something good.
One of my best best friends was running late. ‘Late late’ – like 45 minutes late, which in any Londoners diary could equate to a life changing meeting, a full nights’ sleep or a five course express lunch. Because it was him, I would’ve waited patiently til ‘midnight, but that three quarters of an hour passed in a blur of heady bliss as I sipped away at my ‘Bazaar cocktail by Mr Lyan’ – created by Vivek Singh and award winning mixologist Ryan Chetiyawardana.
I found this ‘Bazaar Old Fashioned’ a real treat – especially after a whole four days of no alcohol (a personal record for me.) The ice cubes come sprinkled with cinnamon and this hit me first as I took a sip, whilst I discovered that turning the glass gives you a hit of cinnamon with every taste. With coconut-washed Indian scotch, coconut sugar and burnt cinnamon, the twist of orange peel garnish and the way the scotch beautifully mellowed with the coconut, made this one of my favourite cocktails. Ever.
You’ll be pleased to hear that my dearest friend did turn up after a mis-guided google maps adventure for one. So when he arrived, it was imperative we tucked into the food right away. The restaurant itself continued the theme of the Indian courtyard beyond the bar and was so beautiful, amplified by a backdrop of jazz / Indian beats.
Having had the Haddock curry already recommended by a friend who’d also visited, that was first on the list. But with such a big menu laid in front of us, we left our choices up to the fabulous Andrea, our host and also the gorgeous Georgiana – our waitress.
Along with a Crab and Beetroot Bonda, we decided on the Samosa chat – Punjabi style samosas served with curried white peas and a tamarind chutney which had a wonderfully tangy kick. It also came served with a yoghurt dressing to help cool down the spicy samosas and a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds was just the thing to freshen this dish up. Ten out of ten so far…
For mains, we ended up getting a little bit carried away with our order! Georgiana had been determined that we try the slow cooked Ox Cheek Vindaloo Curry (£14.50). Having never ever braved a vindaloo before, I was absolutely blown away and totally surprised that there wasn’t just ‘a burn’ as I’d expected, but some totally more-ish delicious spicy flavours and this, combined with the texture of soft, slow cooked meat, along with mash, pak choi and broccoli made this my favourite dish of the night.
The Haddock Curry was every bit as good as my friend had said, while another wonderful surprise came in the form of the Grilled Aubergine (£7.50) made with garlic, chili paste and a homemade tamarind sauce. Served with an addictive sesame peanut crumble, a fresh creamy cheese called labna and toasted buckwheat, this was one dish we managed to finish every last bit of – so, so delicious and the aubergine cooked to perfection.
Managing to stuff a light and fluffy peshwari nan, two bowls of rice and a side order of black daal, I find it impossible thinking back, that we even attempted dessert. But we soldiered on, managing to destroy a Carrot Halwa Roll (£5) which actually is made from black carrots (who knew!) served with a clove iced double cream, anda sticky Dark Chocolate and Walnut Cake with a dollop of Malacca coffee ice cream (£5.75). This was all washed down with a bottle of Il Faggio Montepulciano (£29.00) which was soft, fruity and ever so drinkable.
Probably one of my favourite meals in recent times, Cinnamon Bazaar’s pleasant staff, stunning cosy interiors and classic indian food with that contemporary twist make this well located restaurants a total winner in my opinion! They also offer set lunch and dinner menus and Afternoon Tea. What’s not to love?!
