Where to get The Best Curry in London

I
was brought up on the Great British Curry from a young age - it was such an adventure to go to the local curry house but it was always Korma and saffron rice and "don't go anywhere near the pickles if you value your life". If we were going to go wild my step-father would order a Chicken Tikka. It's still the nation's most-ordered cuisine. In fact, the Chicken Tikka Masala is often touted as Britain’s national dish, so there you go! As a child I often walked past the famous Chutney Mary's in Chelsea knowing that we could never afford to go there. Well, the curry experience over the last 10 years has definitely gone up a notch or two and high-end Indian is much more accessible thanks to restaurants such as Cinnamon Kitchen, Dishoom and Colonal Saab.

The Cinnamon Club is up there as London's finest high-end Indian restaurant and the setting is sublime - a former Victorian library - but I really do prefer its little sister, Cinnamon Kitchen. The food at Cinnamon Kitchen, Battersea is totally delicious (affordable) and generous. I can't stop thinking about their black lentils (velvety and more interesting than it sounds), Pakoras were an experience in themselves and of course I left room for the Garam Masala Sticky Toffee Pudding.

As much as I love Dishoom, I'm not a fan of queueing around the corner and the vibe at Cinnamon Kitchen is excellent. Battersea Power Station development is also a favourite, going up the Lift109 was a highlight of last year - whizzing up the glass elevator just like Charlie - top tip, go at sunset then head to Cinnamon Kitchen. Watching the sun set behind the London skyscrapers is an experience you will never forget plus you'll get some lovely snaps for your Insta ;) You can also get a free audio tour that guides you around the development or just wander all the fab shops - think Westfields on steroids, without the hoards of people.
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Talking of Indian restaurants... Put Colonal Saab on your to do list, if you haven't had an Indian Afternoon Tea, well, you're missing out. Traditional crustless cucumber sandwiches but spread with coriander mayonnaise, share the spotlight with sultana-studded scones, clotted cream, and lashings of strawberry jam. Carrot cake, macarons, and chocolates serve as the warm-up act to the chocolate silk cake. Then for the real treat... crispy samosas and dhokla sandwiches. What's a dholka? Expect soft, steamed flour cakes paired with a tangy tamarind and mint chutney.

To be honest, I wander up and down Brick Lane often and I find it quite overwhelming... If you're looking for the best Indian restaurants in London I would skip Brick Lane, the curry mile, and head straight for the Cinnamon Kitchen. Other than being very very tasty it's far less hectic and the iconic Battersea Power Station surround is ... in my humble, local, opinion one of the best experiences in London.