Cinnamon Kitchen — Restaurant in London

My partner and I had been to the London City branch of CK a few years earlier and it was the best Indian meal we'd ever had. And so we were excited about the nine-dish sharing supper gift experience from Indytute at the Battersea branch, and it totally lived up to our hopes. We were there on the evening of Friday 26 September 2025 and booking in with our Indytute gift was straightforward—we were immediately taken to our table with our complimentary cocktail.

As it was a set menu we knew we would be eating things we wouldn't necessarily pick for ourselves but all the same we're so glad we tried because every single dish was excellent. Nine dishes sounds a lot but we basically didn't eat all day to save ourselves for this dinner(!) and in any case they were fairly small portions so we got lots of different regional flavours, showing how much variety there is in Indian cuisine. All the food was much lighter and more delicate than what you might get from an everyday Indian restaurant.

We were mainly served by Kranthi who had excellent attention to detail and answered all our questions about the food, including my queries about the fish cakes on our menu, which I think from memory were tilapia. I'm not a big fan of strong tasting fish including river fish as it tastes muddy to me, so I generally stick to white fish like cod, but I'm so glad I asked Kranthi about them as the fish cakes were lovely.

My overall favourite dishes from the set menu were the lamb and chicken dishes for the starter. They were both succulent, buttery and had distinctive spices and herbs. We also ordered additional items not from the set menu, including a non-alcoholic pear cocktail for me, and rotis, which were superb (light and bubbly like naans, but unlike naans, not greasy). One thing my partner and I noticed on getting home is we were really thirsty so maybe there was more salt in the food than we'd normally have—but who cares as it was lovely. (Maybe a sorbet for a palate cleanser would be good for the set menu, as well as a non-alcoholic complimentary cocktail for those who don't drink alcohol?)

As well as Kranthi being warm and helpful, all the other staff were friendly and well informed about the dishes. The restaurant is one of several bars and restaurants in a row of arches under the Grosvenor railway bridge and has been sympathetically modernised so you can see all the old bricks and hear the trains above, meaning it feels like you're getting a little bit of gritty London history as you tour round different regional cuisines of India.

We'll be back to Cinnamon Kitchen again and hope you open more branches outside of London and further north. Until then, a big thank you to Kranthi and his colleagues and an even bigger recommendation to anyone thinking about going to Cinnamon Kitchen—you won't be...

The best thing about this restaurant is the naan breads. They are insanely good. Crispy on the outside, soft in the middle. Fresh and full of flavour. However, if I was to come back here again, I would have to order one for myself and one for my waiter who unfortunately was running around all evening, with barely any respite due to the restaurant being understaffed.

We arrived at 8pm, excited to dive into a contemporary take on a classic curry. We began our evening with a pint, and immediately ordered as we had already decided online what we wanted. 1 hour later, no update. After a polite questioning as to where our starters were, the front of house was very apologetic and ensured us that we would be served soon. 2 minutes later, our starters were there. Had they been told left on the hot plate for about 45mins? Probably.

The mains weren’t much faster. They arrived 30mins later, which again was a bit disappointing. We had started the night sitting outside but as the temperature dropped over such a long time, we decided to move in. The food that arrived was cold and pretty disappointing. The lamb had potential, and was cooked well - but very overpriced. The portions were very small, and did not fill me up at all. The butter chicken was bland and tasteless, I could not tell you the difference between that and a generic packet meal.

In conclusion, my 1* review comes down purely to poor management. This is not an issue with the staff. They are clearly under resourced, as the owners are focusing too much on profit margins, as opposed to providing a good customer experience. The waiters recognised the wait for the food was dreadful. They were apologetic and remorseful but they are not at fault. My quarrel is not with them. The food is far too overpriced and the portions far too stingey. I will not...

A warm relaxed atmosphere with welcoming staff. Loved the fact that the railway arches are still in character. The occasional trundle of the trains added to the atmosphere. A set menu for £27.50 two courses served in the evening too. This had fish, chicken lamb and vegetarian items all served with rice. A good way to introduce you to indian regional dishes. Paneer 65 with with curry leaves crumble was exceptional. The portion was generous for a starter. Kofta were divinely delicious, jackfruit with quinoa. Both items had the cinnamon chef magic, traditional flavours but for the modern palate. Novin was very attentive and when I requested no rice with my meal since I hate waste it was replaced with greens. That is something I did not expect. Normally would not order this but beautifully prepared and very tasty. It was week day lunch but at no point were we pressured to order more drinks or food as we were lost in good food and relaxed conversation we spent 3 hours and 15 mins. In all a excellent dining experience. The only comment I would like to make is that the toilets need a good regular cleaning. Easily solved. I do not drink alcohol but felt a bottles of wine were overpriced. But thats good as you focus on the various flavours and not wash down the chef's efforts. I would highly recommend Cinnamon Kitchen for people who enjoy...