Indian is yet another cuisine I don't go out for enough. Apart from the breakfast at Dishoom, which I do occasional.. And I do the whole Indian street food thing...yes, I have had one of those awesome naan wraps. But when it comes to a sit down Indian meal. NOPE. No where near enough.
Recently I went along to Salaam Namaste in Bloomsbury and I realised I need to do it more. It's a contemporary, sleek and fancy, little restaurant with the menu focused on modern Indian cuisine. The interior is filled with shades of beige, brown and deep purples, and has leather chairs and deep wooden tables.
From the moment you walk in, you get the welcoming, attentive feel from the team. They're really friendly and passionate, and super attentive the whole way through your meal. It really shows, and makes such a difference when service is like this!
The contemporary Indian menu focuses on traditional flavours with a twist.
There's plenty to choose from, and so many tasty sounding dishes.
Poppadoms are obviously a must at an Indian and these are no different. They were slightly salty, and came with the most amazing tomato chilli dip, made with garlic and onions. It was incredible - apparently a popular one and can only be found here when you dine in. You can't really go wrong with mango chutney and mint dip too, but it really is all about that chilli one.
The Bombay Onion Bhaji was absolutely delicious too. It was super crispy on the outside, yet soft in the middle, and paired so well with the tamarind chutney. The Tandoori lamb (part of the Tandoori Rattan) was a little tough but superbly spicy and aromatic - so still worth a try if you're up for getting a selection.
The Tandoori Rubiyani Duck was our favourtie pick of the night for sure. Gressingham duck breast marinated in yoghurt, cheese and carefully selected spices, charred in tandoor, it was served with roasted Tiger prawn, tangy potatoes and cucumber salad. The duck was extremely tender and juicy, and deep in flavour. The king prawn was fat and succulent, and the vegetables delicious too - both really adding to the duck dish. One fab dish of flavours and textures.
I'd never seen or tried a date & ginger nan before, so this was a must try.
It was slightly sweet and sticky, and was great for dipping in, and mopping up the spicy tomato-based sauce from the duck. I highly recommend ordering this alongside the duck, or any of the dishes with excess sauce!
Another fab dish was the Tandoori Ajwain Salmon. Marinated with yoghurt crushed ginger, garlic, mint, coriander & fresh stone ground spices and served with a plum tomato relish, the salmon was tender , flaking easily, and absolutely superb in taste. The coriander flavour shone through, adding to the aromatic nature, and the tastiness.
I always like to add a side of rice, even alongside an order of bread - normally I like to share both. The special fried satisfied this need well, with a good portion size (not too big) of fluffy, tasty rice.
There are a number of desserts to finish - so try to save space if you can. The menu had several creative options which tempted our tastebuds, from the pistachio and mango kulfi to the mango and coconut brulee cheesecake. Pretty full (as you can imagine), we tried the trio of ice cream, with cinnamon, tiramisu and coconut flavours. The ice creams tasted premium in quality, very creamy. The flavours were potent too. It was a fab, refreshing way to end the meal.
With all this food, you need something to wash it down...
The drinks menu has a good selection of wine (not too extensive as to confuse) and cocktails, as well as a handful of beers and soft drinks.The cocktail part of the menu features ten creative cocktails, each inspired by Indian cuisine and refreshing flavours. There are also four mocktails for anyone sticking to the soft drinks.
The Summer in Paris was a very sweet, tasty number consisting of Ciroc, Cointreau elderflower and lychee juice. This cocktail literally tastes like sweets. It's delicious alongside the dishes. The Kiwi and Cucumber Martini, featuring absolut vodka, cucumber, fresh kiwi, elderflower and lime, was a fab, refreshing choice for alongside dinner too.
The mocktails were also really enjoyable - we did the whole balance thing. The slushy kiwi with fresh kiwi and pineapple juice was great, with the kiwi adding juicy bursts to the pineapple juice. The vanilla berry - a mix of fresh raspberry, blackberry, vanilla sugar, cranberry juice and apple juice - was bursting with juicy flavours with the vanilla shining through.
SUMMARY:
- Price: Really affordable. Cocktails we had were £7.95 and £8.95, which is pretty reasonable for central London. Starters are priced between £4.95 and £7.95, mains between £8.95 and £14.95, and desserts between £3.95 and £4.95.
- Food: a fab modern menu - plenty of classics and even more twists. Deifnitely get the poppadoms with THAT dip. And that duck!
- Drinks: Great selection of alcohol and soft drinks. The cocktails were tried were superb!
- Atmosphere:A beautiful, contemporary sleek Indian spot. Super friendly service, making it a fantastic experience.
- Wait: Not very busy on a Tuesday evening, but do book ahead if you can.