Kanishka by Atul Kochhar — Restaurant in London

Nestled in the vibrant heart of London, Mayfair, Kanishka beckons food lovers on an extraordinary culinary journey through the diverse flavours of India. With a contemporary twist on traditional Indian cuisine, Kanishka has established itself as a gastronomic gem in the city. The menu offers an enticing array of dishes inspired by the rich culinary traditions of the Indian subcontinent, carefully curated to tantalize the taste buds of adventurous eaters. From fragrant biryanis to their signature dishes like their black dal and tangy curries, each dish is a harmonious symphony of flavours, textures, and aromas that transport diners to the bustling streets of India. With its chic yet inviting ambiance, attentive service, and exceptional attention to detail, Kanishka Restaurant provides an unforgettable dining experience where guests can savour the mouth-watering delights of London's Spice Kingdom. I love how everything is switched up and elevated making each dish just that little bit more special. The attention to detail, flavours and presentation is commendable and it all shines through in an exceptional meal.

We tucked heartily into the Poppadoms, which were a mixture of crinkled crisp like poppadoms and the thin ones that you usually get. There was a nice hint of spice on the poppadoms, making you reach for those dips without hesitation.

Spice and chilli really take centre stage with the food here - not necessarily with heat but with a very well balanced spice journey.

Kanishka has several menus - Seasonal Tasting Menu, Traditions Tasting Menu, A la Carte, Set Menu, Vegetarian and Childrens Menu. We were trying out the Set Menu, 3 courses for £40 (lunchtime) or £54 (dinner).

I had to order Atul’s Chicken Tikka Pie. This is a speciality and it is exceptional. Firstly, so beautiful to look at, the pie itself is exquisitely put together and then there is the taste. The pastry is flaky and buttery, the filling stuff and filled to the brim with shredded chicken in an elegant spice hug.

The other starter was Patrani Machhi - steamed sea bass with peanuts & coconut chutney (n). A delicate delight that tantalizes the taste buds of seafood lovers. Sea bass is a brilliant fish that absorbs delicate flavours easily and the spices used here resulted in a harmonious symphony of tastes upon every bite. The coconut chutney was outstanding. The Mixed Grill provides a great opportunity to taste all the best bits. You’ll find chicken tikka, lamb chop, tiger prawn, bihari seekh kebab and salad. Beautifully presented this is a meat lovers feast.

The Pan-fried salmon with banana fritter in mappas curry was equally as delicious. The salmon sat centre in this Mappas curry, a coconut-based curry sauce with distinctive flavour profiles from the generous use of spices like cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper. I wasn’t overly fond of the banana fritter but it definitely has a place on this plate.

Peshwari Naan and rice accompanied these main courses.

For dessert we ordered the Teen Mithai and the Mango & Ginger Brulee. Both extremely pretty dishes.

The Teen Mithai is chocolate mousse, lime fudge, grit and sponge. The chocolate mousse was light and sweet contrasting with the heavy thick sponge. It did have a very unusual texture and we enjoyed the mousse more.

The Mango & Ginger Brulee is almonds, vanilla ganache and raspberry gel. Brulee was light and very creamy and subtle flavours of the mango and ginger. Spoonfuls of the brulee with a combination of the brulee and the tart raspberry gel certainly gave off party vibes on the palate.

The impeccable service and elegant ambiance further enhance the overall dining experience at Kanishka. London is indeed privileged to have such an exquisite establishment in its vibrant culinary scene, where every visit to Kanishka is sure to be an unforgettable experience.

Just one question for Chef Atul Kochhar - when are you opening a restaurant...

Our recent dining experience at Kanishka left much to be desired. We (me and my 7 friends) opted for the Holi set menu, expecting a delightful culinary journey. However, the reality fell short of our expectations. The set menu proved to be misleading, as it failed to mention that naan, rice, and black dal were not included as individual servings in a set menu but were meant to be shared between four people, which no where mentions in the set menu they publish. This came as a disappointment, especially considering the £45 per person plus drinks plus 15% service charge.

It was unbelievable, we were served only half a naan each, which seemed rather stingy for an Indian restaurant of such stature. Similarly, a small bowl of dal was meant to be shared among four diners, which felt inadequate. Although the staff tried to rectify the situation when we pointed out the obvious by providing the other 4-5 pieces of half of the naan for 8 people upon our complaint, and it was still disappointing.

The dessert selection was also underwhelming, with one of the options, faluda, being only half-prepared, leaving us with just the kulfi component. We believe that if a dish is not available as advertised, it should either be replaced with a complete item or reflected in the pricing of the set menu.

Regarding the dishes we did try, the lotus tikki in the starters was enjoyable, but the adraki gobhi in the mains was very mediocre. Coupled with the meager half portion of naan, it left much to be desired.

The Gujiya dessert was mediocre at best, making us question its value compared to a store-bought alternative. Haldiram store bought gujiyas are better. Portion sizes across the board were notably small, leaving us feeling unsatisfied.

In comparison, to my experience with similar Indian restaurants like Trishna in Mayfair offer set menus at a similar price point but deliver an abundance of options and decent portions. At Trishna, the bread basket was ample, and individual servings of dal and rice are provided in satisfying quantities per person. That is point of having individual set menu right?

In conclusion, our experience at Kanishka was utterly disappointing, and it's unlikely that we'll be returning. When dining out, we expect transparency, generosity, and quality, none of which were met at Kanishka. I wonder how is this place recommended in...

One of my weekend routines in London is to do a solo lunch, and I have been trying the weekend lunch menus at Indian restaurants across London - I have been to Kahani, Kutir, Chutney Mary and so on. and I must admit I was really looking forward to trying Kanishka.

From the get go, as I entered the place I felt uncomfortable. I had called and asked if they have their set lunch menus on the weekend as it looked interesting (plus I eat alone and hate wasting food). And finally I ended up going with their regular weekend brunch menu as that had a better spread.

For a single Indian woman eating out, I was made to feel extremely conscious. It was almost as if I was being judged on my ability on spend (and trust me, our instincts are right on this one, we know it when we get those strange looks). I also choose never to consume alcoholic beverages on my lunches out, so they definitely decided I was not worth serving.

The service was appalling and it was clear they were far more attentive to other tables. I had to followup for each course. For my starters, they served me 4 out of 8, and asked if I am ready to move to main. I had to remind them that I still needed to be served all my starters. (And I am writing this review as I sit here and wondering what do I need to do to get my main course, other than reminding them 3 times).

A single woman, brown skinned and you can imagine… and I was made to feel extremely out of place.

I sat at the bar (which is what I had booked online) and they were nice enough you move me to a table later.

My advise - learn from places like kahani. I am such a fan of them. I have felt nothing but comfortable there, and they pamper you.

The food at Kanishka is above average at best. (I am hoping they redeem themselves with the main course if they ever get around to serving it). While the variety of the starters was commendable, except a couple of items, most didnt hit the mark. The samosa chaat was probably the best item. The broccoli was subpar. The ambience of the place is lovely. However there are far better places, for a weekend Indian brunch, priced similarly and with far superior service. And they won’t treat you terribly if you are brown skinned and choosing to...