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LA PORTE DES
INDES
32 Bryanstone Street, W1
Tel: 020 7224 0055
THE 1990s may have come and gone - but the stain lingers on the
Indian restaurant scene like a bad vindaloo.
After lad culture arrived, the suggestion of "going for a curry" has
taken on negative connotations.
The image is of abrasive, beer-bellied blokes competing to eat the
most monstrously hot food imaginable then washing it down with the
odd pint or 10.
But at the other end of the business are a few, very exclusive
Indian restaurants like La Porte Des Indes. And the experience of
dining in them could not be more different.
An army of waiters swarm throughout the venue, which is spread
across several magnificent floors and redolent with the faded
glories of the British Raj. Past diners have included Will Smith,
Frank Sinatra and Kylie Minogue, but altogether less illustrious
guests such as myself are made to feel like they are on the A list.
The menu is so expansive that, like India itself, it would take
several visits to get a feel for it. But the food I did try was all
exquisite.
A platter of mixed starters set the taste buds wagging with a
mixture of curried crab, scallops and other spiced delights.
On the chef's recommendation I then tried the chicken leg with black
pepper, a rich and spicy dish that left a great feeling of
contentment in its wake. A selection of familiar favourites,
including naan and pilau rice, accompanied the main dishes, each of
them a cut above the usual curry house fare.
After a couple of classy cocktails my partner and I shared a bottle
of Chateauneuf du Pape which had enough punch to make itself known
above the strong flavours.
La Porte Des Indes is decadent, not dingy and the food sublime. If
the local curry house belongs in the 1990s, the spiritual home of
the Indes is in the 1920s colonial heyday of India itself. And rest
assured with prices as reassuringly expensive as this, there is not
a lager lout in sight. - ED DAVEY
Disabled access: Yes
Mains: From £14
Bottle of house wine: £18
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