Tamarind and Paps

On Monday night i was in Mayfair for an anniversary dinner at Tamarind on Queen St. On the same night Brad and Angelina were in town at the nearby Curzon cinema for a private screening of her new offering 'The Changeling'. There has been mention of an Oscar nomination come January for Angelina following the Academy's snub last year for her role in 'A Mighty Heart'. So, that explains the presence of the paparazzi lurking on the street corner.

I had earlier in the day been pleased to discover Tamarind offers a set menu for early diners making this michelin starred Indian restaurant accessible to all for a reasonable £28.00 for 2 courses including a bottle of wine!

However, upon requesting the set menu the waiting staff offered only the £50 and £70 options of 3 or 4 courses. The reluctance to acknowledge something which is clearly offered on their website is disappointing. In addition upon telephoning to book a table for 6:45 we were told in no uncertain terms that there was no availability after 6:30. So, 6:30 it was, puzzling when the restaurant was barely 1/3 full all evening.

Anyway, the matter of the food, it was certainly superior to the average fare one can expect from their trusty local takeaway but is it really worth three times the price? Plus wine, plus service? I'd have to say no. Sure it was the best nan bread I have ever had, and curry houses do not generally offer scallops on the menu but in all I would say stick to your local.

I always find the service in Indian restaurants to be above average however this in itself seems strangely not in keeping with the comfort eating ethos of hearty indian cooking. This, I suppose is the image they are attempting to move away from, and are indeed succeeding if this is their aim. I shall be sticking with the Tiffin Tin, Tufnell Park when seeking out that spicy indulgence for the forseeable future.

7/10