After visiting their Chelsea location, we were very excited to visit the newly opened Chutney Mary located in St James’s. Situated in the heart of London’s West End this is the perfect location to start your evening. We had an impeccable evening of fine Indian cuisine, the staff really understand the art of hospitality and the chef’s clearly understand the art of Indian cuisine.
We started our evening with some pre-dinner cocktails, I ordered the 'Saffron Martini', mixed with Boudier Saffron Gin, Chutney Mary Floral Infused Syrup, and Noilly Prat Dry. A refreshing Martini with a lovely hint of Saffron to complete. My partner ordered the simply titled 'Hibiscus', a cocktail comprising of Taittinger Champagne, Beefeater, and a Drop of Wild Hibiscus. The Hibiscus gave this cocktail a sweet and floral tone, very rewarding.
To begin I decided on the street-food favourite, the Tokri Chaat, which is a Straw Potato Basket, strained with Yoghurt and Chutneys. This dish delivered impeccable flavour, every mouthful was a joy to experience. My partner ordered the Glazed Tandoori Paneer Tikka, with Caramelised Mango, Apple and Onion Seeds. Another fine example of what Chutney Mary has to offer.
“The staff really understand the art of hospitality.”
For our main course I ordered the Prawn Biryani, this was lightly cooked with Fresh Herbs, Ginger, Green Chilli, and Saffron. The flavours in this dish were superb and I would happily order this dish again. My partner opted for the Lamb Chops, with Ginger, Cinnamon, and Chilli. The Lamb Chops were tender, and the combination of Ginger, Cinnamon and Chilli is simply divine when prepared like this. We added a side of Mewari Dal tempered with Ghee to complete our meal.
We couldn’t manage dessert on this occasion, but we will no doubt return in the future and hope to sample something from their dessert menu. Our choice of wine for the evening was a bottle of 2014, Crozes-Hermitage, Les Meysonniers, M Chapoutier. A wine with a deep purple colour, and a collection of dark fruits with a hint of licorice.
The service at Chutney Mary was excellent, the dishes were outstanding, and our evening couldn’t have been better.
The Bill: £83 per head
