ROUGH-ONLINE Night Out @ Cinnamon Soho – Modern Indian Dining

5 Kingly St, Carnaby, London W1B 5PF

Take a stroll down the bustling Kingly Street, off Carnaby Street and you could accidentally miss the quaint Cinnamon Soho. The restaurant is the third offering from Vivek Singh who has blessed the foodie nation with his Cinnamon chain in Bishopsgate, Westminster and current incarnation, alongside head chef Ramachandran Raju, Cinnamon Soho. The restaurant serves a vibrant Pan Indian selection of Sharing ‘Soho Plates’ with an innovative British twist, a quirky ‘High Chai’ afternoon tea, a top selection of fine wines and refreshing cocktails.

The modest urban interior seems rather mind boggling at first -  part hipster with bicycles adorned on the walls and part plush Soho café. Strangely enough, the informal layout works for this 75-seater restaurant mainly due to the informal laissez-faire atmosphere and heavy British influence, clearly reflected in the lengthy menu. Standout dishes include Bangla-Scotch eggs: quail eggs wrapped in Calcutta spiced beetroot, Smoked saddle of Cumbrian Lamb and Lamb Roganjosh Shepherd’s Pie as well as Indian staple dishes such as Korma, Tandoori, Naan breads and Vindaloo for diners opting for a more traditional palate. With their inclusive diverse menu, no one feels left out as it caters for almost all dietary requirements from Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free - there’s even a menu for the little ones!

We kicked off our session with a portion of bright green Kadhai spiced ‘Bullet’ Chillies. We prepared ourselves for the burn but…nothing. Possibly the most nondescript dish with no kicks, not even mildly spicy. The Lamb Shammi Shish kebab balls were delicately spiced with a fluffy texture but portion wise, the serving of three small balls left us wanting more. The Garlic Naan made up for a lacklustre round of starters - the light garlic notes on the warm chewy bread made for a moorish and filling dish on its own.

Next up was the Double cooked pork belly ‘Koorg’ style with jasmine rice - the show stopping dish – rich, tender, squidgy, meaty slathered in creamy curried yoghurt. Wasn’t so crazy over the bitter mixed vegetables it was served with but the jasmine rice had the perfect balance of spice and aroma. What’s noticeable about the dishes here are the faint flavours which would be perfect for diners with timid taste buds but not for those who seek scores of flavour or anything remotely spicy.

Dessert was the sumptuous and beautifully presented Malabar plum cake with cinnamon ice cream -  another star dish! This was all washed down with two rounds of the Chilli Black Mango cocktail, a mouth-watering concoction of mango juice, spicy vanilla sugar, whisky with a sprinkle topping of black pepper.

Avoid:
Kadhai ‘Bullet’ Chillies

Must Try:
Double cooked Pork belly, Chilli Black Mango cocktail

Price:
Approx. £25 per head

Verdict:
7/10 Having sampled several Indian restaurants, Cinnamon Soho doesn’t rank particularly high in terms of taste, especially in comparison to its sister restaurant Cinnamon Tree. That said, the dishes are well made, with precision and the service was efficient with smiles all round. A part of me is itching to go back for that ‘High Chai’ Afternoon tea!