When a chef like Rhot Ghal of Michelin acclaim goes it alone and creates a restaurant in their own image, it begs attention.Â
When a chef like Rhot Ghal of Michelin acclaim goes it alone (effectively virtually, he has a co-owner in entrance of home knowledgeable Abhishake Sangwan) and creates a restaurant in their very own picture, it begs consideration.
The duo opened in 2018, withstood Covid and they’re now thriving once more providing Pan-Indian delicacies impressed by Royal Indian Expeditions.
The identify Kutir is Sanskrit for âa small cottage in the middle of nowhereâ. Itâs a cute identify however is a tad humble on condition that it is a trendy finish of terrace townhouse in Chelsea simply off Sloane Street.
Ambience
Arriving at Kutir virtually feels as if one goes to a cocktail party with pals eager to impress. Indeed, the hallway has a really lovely cover of flowers overhead and crowd pleasing floral wallpaper. Throughout thereâs plushly upholstered chairs, gold curtains, and chandelier lighting.
On the bottom ground is a room with few covers and an ornate bar trying effectively wearing a Massini cloth with wildflowers, butterflies and birds given added sparkle from Swarovski crystals.
Itâs a small bar tended by their mixologist Sandar Nemeth who tells me his inspiration for his profession selection got here from watching Tom Cruise in Cocktail.
A flight of stairs results in two extra rooms and a small roof terrace that was created round a conservatory ceiling in order that they might open in April. It is a beautiful atmosphere with floral paintings and synthetic grass and it stays open for lunch or alfresco eating if the night is heat.
This night it was just a little chilly so we took our seats at a small nook desk from the place we had the view of the stunning roof backyard. I couldnât assist noticing the stunning print of tigers and elephants on the wallpaper which introduced again recollections of travels to the Indian Subcontinent.
Food & Drink
It didnât take lengthy to understand that an enormous quantity of thought and creativity has been poured into the offings at Kutir with a number of menus to cater in your temper and tastes. There a £65 per individual Expedition tasting menu which will be paired with their wines (add £55), and a considerate vegan model of it. Thereâs additionally an a la carte menu, which we opted for.
No Indian meal might presumably begin with out nibbling on popadoms. Appealing curly popadoms, each spicy and plain arrived. These had been good for scooping condiments of mango chutney (with satisfying mango items), tomato sauce and yoghurt with turmeric.
We adopted this with Allo Tikki starter, a well-liked avenue meals of India, of potato muffins. Made with tamarind and potato and lentil mash, it’s served with mint chutney. When I’ve had these up to now they crispy exterior however ours had been mushy and easy on the within. They had been served on a base of peas and pomegranate gems which gave a shocking tangy sweetness each every now and then.
We additionally selected French minimize rooster tandoori chops from the starter menu. Two chops had been served on a mattress of lentils. The meat was tremendous mushy on the within and properly charred on the surface and really spicy.
The two mains we selected had been the rooster tikka masala with fenugreek, tomato and Kashmiri chilli (sure I’m a traditionalist and am at all times drawn to this dish on a menu) and the venison inexperienced peppercorn. The venison is slow-cooked with fennel and yoghurt sauce. The meat was mushy and well-cooked. The sauces for each dishes had been unexpectedly gentle and a stark distinction to the spicy starters.
We selected steamed rice and Aloo Sag as sides. The latter delivered attractive spinach however it was laborious to detect the potato.
Kutir has an unlimited wine menu curated from around the globe. However, as gin lovers, we determined to go for gin cocktails. After all of the cocktail checklist was spectacular.
We selected the Sariska and the Alphonso. The Sariska is a mixture of Sipsmith London Dry gin, candy vermouth, lavender syrup & bitter. The glass got here adorned with activated coal on the surface, whose darkish color actually showcased the inexperienced of the cocktail.
The Alphonso is a mixture of Hapusa Himalayan Dry gin, which has a touch of mango in it, Indian tonic water and mango. Both had been unbelievably scrumptious â thanks Sandar.
As we left had been supplied scrumptious pistachio muffins to nibble on. A classy and scrumptious ending to a really nice meal.
Verdict
Dining at Kutir is a quiet affair in small intimate rooms. This is Indian delicacies their approach and the flavours are sometimes fairly shocking.
More data:
Kutir, 10 Lincoln Street, London SW3 2TS
Opening Hours: 1pm â 10pm (Tue â Sun)
You can view Kutirâs menu here.
Expect to pay round £50 per head a la carte.
