london
Darjeeling Express
• Indian• Covent Garden
About the restaurant
The fact that chef and founder Asma Khan was the first British chef featured on the Netflix series Chef’s Table should give some indication not only to the quality of her food but also to how interesting a personality she is. The self-taught chef oversees an all-female kitchen, and uses her growing profile to raise awareness for social causes in her native India.
The restaurant recently moved from its original home in Soho’s Kingly Court to a larger site in Covent Garden, with a larger dining room to help deal with the huge demand for tables. As you’d expect, Khan’s background in supper clubs means eating here is a warm and sociable experience.
Contrary to other upmarket Indian restaurants like Gymkhana and The Cinnamon Club, Khan’s food isn’t plated individually and it’s not a tasting menu format, either – in classic Indian style, it’s largely designed for the table to share. Curries are rich and flavourful, as are flagship biryanis, while a thali platter is a great way to experience a curated selection.
Reviews from the Web
Critic reviews
The Infatuation
The menu is split simply into starters and curries, with a few sides. It’s hard to go wrong when you order, but be sure to get the crunchy puchkas (similar to pani puri) to begin, which are like edible shots and are a great way to kick off a meal.
Standard
Of course, by far the best food is in people’s houses” is an annoying thing people say when you are setting off to India not knowing a soul there. It is a statement arguably true of all countries — I can’t think of one where restaurants are always reliably better than a domestic experience.
The Nudge
The place itself is bright & airy, with a high vaulted ceiling, eccentric foliage, and large windows spilling light onto the beige & blue pastel walls and the worn wooden floor.
- 2a Garrick St, Covent Garden
- WC2E 9BH
- London
- +44 20 7287 2828
- Visit website
