JAMAVAR
High-end Indian restaurant chain Jamavar made its London debut in December with this elegant opening on Mount Street in Mayfair. The concept was created by Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts, which operates Jamavar venues in its Bengaluru, New Delhi, Chennai, Goa and Mumbai properties.
The restaurant is split over two floors, with peachhued interiors and walls panelled in dark wood and inlaid with large mirrors and green marble pilasters. Executive chef Rohit Ghai has been poached from Michelin-starred Gymkhana. His focus at Jamavar is on small plates inspired by street food from both North and South India, but there are also more substantial portions of curry, biryani and tandoori, with some knockout flavours.
Fried potato cakes (chowk ki aloo tikki) were slathered in honey yoghurt, white radish and tamarind chutney, while the idli sambhar (south Indian steamed rice and lentil cakes) were presented on a skewer with Brussels sprouts and a hot savoury broth.
Mains include old Delhi butter chicken and eighthour slow-cooked Hampshire lamb shank with Rajasthani chilli, while the vegetarian options include kasundi paneer tikka (delicately charred cheese with raw papaya chutney) and gucchi mutter curry with morels, green peas, fresh tomato and star anise.
It’s unusual, in London, where there are so many restaurants opening all the time, to want to eat in the same place twice, but I am already looking forward to going back to Jamavar. Jenny Southan