Review: Elegant dining at Bombay Brasserie, Kensington

Style Points:  5/5
Price: £££
Overall: 3/5

Iconic fine dining Indian restaurant Bombay Brasserie recently announced a relaunch with new menus and freshly designed interiors, and I couldn’t wait to try it out!

First opened in 1982, the new menu at Bombay Brasserie aims to redefine the way in which Indian cuisine is perceived in London, introducing unique cooking techniques like natural coal smoking to infuse a smoky flavour in classic dishes such as Burani raita, and authentic cuisine from diverse regions of the subcontinent.

The new interiors have been designed to create a more indulgent and luxurious feel whilst emphasising the restaurant’s colonial style. There is also a beautiful external seating area with hanging pendants and sumptuous cushioned seating, as well as a newly designed bar offering a selection of classic and new cocktails.

Would I Want Seconds?

Bombay Brasserie’s reinvented menu includes exciting new dishes such as venison roast (strips of venison fillet, onion, tomato, ginger, spices, coconut slivers) and prawn hara pyaz ka (black tiger prawns, spring onions, scallions, tomatoes and spices).

They have also bought back some of old favourites such as palak patta chaat (crispy fried baby spinach, yoghurt, date and tamarind chutney) and baingan bharta (smoked aubergine mash, cumin, chilli, and coriander leaves). We tried both of these dishes and the variation of texture and depth of flavour in them made them delicious. 

We also tried the prawn kalimiri which arrived as scrumptious crispy prawns seasoned with black, green peppercorn.

Our starters were amazing and I couldn’t wait to try my main course. I ordered a vegetarian okra curry, and rice and naan as sides. Sadly when the dish arrived it wasn’t particularly spectacular and I couldn’t finish it all as the taste wasn’t appealing enough.

Next came our desserts which were even more of a downhill spiral. As we had ordered from a set menu we couldn’t choose our dessert but were given the chef choice duo of dessert. This turned out to be a scoop of almond ice cream with what seemed to be a small bowl of pistachio rice pudding. This was certainly an experimental dessert, as was obvious from the strange presentation, and didn’t seem to sit well with the rest of the menu and the luxurious venue itself. 

Cocktails to start

Palak patta chaat

Popadoms

Okra main course

Could I Afford Seconds?

We dined at Bombay Brasserie from their set lunch menu, which included three courses for £24. This is an amazing value deal for such an elegant restaurant, however I did get a sense that the food on the a la carte menu would probably be much more superior than what we were served. 

I often find set menus are the perfect way to experience and get a taste of high end restaurants, but Bombay Brasserie didn’t seem to place much emphasis on theirs.

Our table of food

Dessert

Overall? 3/5

Bombay Brasserie offers sumptuous surroundings for lunch, dinner or private dining celebrations. Everything from the entrance, to the bar to the dining area is beautiful. 

Yet despite the stunning venue, for me, dining on a weekday lunch time, it didn’t quite feel like I was in one of the best Indian restaurants in London. We were one of the first to arrive at the restaurant as it opened for the day’s service and it was evident from the service and some of the dishes that they were not in full stride for the day yet. 

However, I haven’t completed discounted Bombay Brasserie and will probably visit again to dine from the a la carte menu at a busier time of day, as I am eager to be impressed by this restaurant with such high standing.

Website: www.bombayb.co.uk
Address: Bombay Brasserie, Courtfield Road, London SW7 4QH
Closest Tube Station: Gloucester Road