Chokhi Dhani London | Best Indian Restaurant in London | Rajasthani Food — Restaurant in London

A disappointing evening. We went as a group because my sister has been staying in the apartments above.

Really wanted to like the place and have an enjoyable evening with family but the restaurant, food and overall experience were a let down.

Leaving this review primarily with the hope that the owners / management can take it on board as constructive rather than purely negative.

Upon entering the restaurant, we had booked but were greeted as if it was unexpected. Initially thought that perhaps our table had been given away but then saw that the restaurant was less than half full. Took about 5 minutes to be seated.

It was then challenging to find waiting staff to order drinks, again taking 5-10 mins. These two issues alone are enough to put a guest in a skeptical mood, especially at a restaurant that is charging prices beyond a casual meal.

A trip to the gents toilets was also unpleasant — seemingly an issue with the water(?) but the loos were clearly out of action, yet not signage or suggestion of where to go if not use these loos. Should the restaurant even have been open if the toilets were out of action? I don’t know.

With the gents being upstairs I also realised the restaurant is on two levels. The restaurant is situated on the river Thames, a location that most could only dream of. The upstairs has the best views and for some reason all tables on this evening were locate downstairs, and on one side of the restaurant where the entire view of the river is blocked by the bar area. It feels like the owners are scoring an own goal with this choice of layout.

Menu options were interesting and plenty of dishes to experiment with. I had high hopes for the food but overall portions felt smaller than expected, and flavour was lacking compared to popular comparable restaurants such as Dishoom. The Dishoom black daal and byriani, as examples, for me are far superior to the equivalents here. It almost feels like the staff here should visit some of their competition to compare the dining experience and quality they offer to up their own game.

Referencing the portion sizes once more, I struggle to recall the last time I visited an Indian restaurant of any kind and had room or desire to see the dessert menu, but that’s exactly what we all needed to do here.

Perhaps the most unforgivable moment of the evening was the flat refusal to serve coffee to us. No explanation but “we don’t have coffee”. While hardly an Indian dessert, a few of the table wanted an affogato for dessert, while everyone wanted at least a coffee of some variety. No explanation was given as to why they couldn’t serve coffee. In a moment of frustration I even suggested to our server that there is a Sainsburys next door, and a Waitrose over the road, and that I’d even go there to get some coffee (and a cafetière if required) but no. It’s beyond me how a restaurant in central London can claim they have no coffee, even instant coffee(!) to serve, other than to assume they are beyond caring.

Many of these issues could be forgivable if the service was warm and welcoming but unfortunately it was lacking on all fronts.

I hope this review is taken to be helpful rather than a moan. I wanted this to be a lovely evening, but overall I came away with the impression of a well-located, modern Indian restaurant that charges high prices, with a menu and experience that...

Firstly, I don't know where to start. I found out about Choki Dhani while I was surfing for grill and curry places that have 'Halal' options as I was just cluelessly looking around google maps since my friends mostly work near Victoria and Embankment so we can socialise and eat after-work dinner near our workplaces. Somehow this cool hidden gem popped up. I told myself I will book this place someday - this was around Nov 2022.

Fast forward to April 2023, I booked Chokhi around 2 weeks before my Dad's birthday. Came here for my Dad’s Birthday Dinner. Being an East Londoner, you're probably would be crazy to traverse to Nine Elms and that too for an Indian restaurant! I know right? It's insane! Mind you, this is not that kind of a typical Indian restaurant you'd be exploring often in Southall, Green Street or Bricklane or neither like those high end ones in Mayfair, Piccadilly or Soho. This my friend is a whole new level! An absolute gamechanger!

Imagine you're walking into a Rajasthani palace or a famous monument around that part of Indian region, that's the impression I got when I walked in Chokhi. Before you even step afoot inside, you'll first notice the giant Indian elephant statue! Yes you read that right (look at the picture below), a colossal Indian elephant statue made of expensive teak or mahogany wood god knows what it was sculptured of, but sure it looked unique. Nice way to grab a customer's attention! Love it.

If you are a Non-Desi/Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi person reading this, you're probably scratching your head thinking, 'Okay, so what does Chokhi Dhani means?'

Chokhi Dhani means “a special village” where you get a feel of a traditional Rajasthani village. From mud houses, animal rides, traditional folk dancers performing on Rajasthani music and authentic Rajasthani cuisine. Chokhi Dhani is an ideal place to enjoy the culture and heritage.

Now to the important bits, so for my dad's birthday we got the Rajasthani Maharaja Thali - totally scrumptious (with authentic Rajasthani dishes names where I've never heard of), Cheesy Chicken Sheekh Kebabs, Lamb Curry (Laal Maas - Rajasthani name) accompanied with amazing drinks. Ordered the lassi, lal qila and berry berry nice. Their masala chai was amazing too after the dinner. Finally when we called the uber and we were about to exit the premises, the staff members brought a mini brownie sliced cake bites with a candle lit for my birthday dad! I was totally impressed by their gesture. Thank you so much Chokhi Dhani team. Will visit you again with my friends! Looking forward to meet you soon. Hope in the future we can flourish this business by franchising other parts...

I recently visited Chokhi Dhani London, and the experience was a mix of highs and lows — some aspects were enjoyable, but several were disappointing enough to temper the overall experience.

Starting with the food, about half of the dishes were genuinely good, with the sev tanatar standing out as crisp, flavorful, and well-executed. The chicken, unfortunately, was merely decent — not the best I’ve had in London, and certainly not up to the authentic Rajasthani flavors I expected. Coming from Rajasthan, it felt surprisingly underwhelming compared to other restaurants in the city that have captured the region’s signature taste far better.

Service was another mixed bag, but unfortunately leaned more toward the negative. Staff were not particularly welcoming; a simple smile would have helped, yet basic attentiveness — like ensuring water and plates were brought on time — was inconsistent. On top of that, the team felt pushy about ordering extra dishes rather than providing a genuinely customer-friendly experience from the start. I haven’t encountered this anywhere else, let alone at a Rajasthani restaurant, which should ideally set the gold standard for hospitality.

The thali policy was another major frustration. At £40, the thali is non-refillable, very large (over 1,000 calories), and simply too much for one person to finish comfortably. Sharing is not allowed — a detail nowhere mentioned on the online menu — which feels misleading and inconvenient. To make matters worse, staff actively encouraged us to order additional dishes even though we had already ordered a thali plus three extra dishes for five people. The insistence on “one thali per person” struck me as unnecessarily rigid, especially when the portion is fixed and the risk of food waste is high.

Overall, the visit was a very mixed experience: a few standout dishes like the sev tanatar, some average ones like the chicken, and service that felt inconsistent, impersonal, and at times pushy. Combined with rigid policies and a lack of transparency, it made the experience more frustrating than enjoyable. With better hospitality, clearer communication, and a more flexible approach, Chokhi Dhani London has the potential to offer a truly memorable Rajasthani dining experience — something the cuisine and culture...