Randomness Guide to London - Differences between Version 10 and Version 9 of Imli Street, W1F 8WR
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| Indian 'tapas'-themed restaurant, which specialises in offering its food in small dishes to be mixed and matched and shared. Somewhat following this theme, Imli even has a tasting menu at £9.95 or £14.95 per person (for a minimum of two). There is a range of lunchtime deals priced from £5.95 to £7.95 and a takeaway lunch box at £5.50 (Menus are available on the website.) |
Indian 'tapas'-themed restaurant, which specialises in offering its food in small dishes to be mixed and matched and shared. Somewhat following this theme, Imli even has a tasting menu at £16.50 or £22.50 per person. A special set menu is available at lunchtimes; it costs £7.50 and the dishes change regularly. (Menus are available on the website.) |
Indian 'tapas'-themed restaurant, which specialises in offering its food in small dishes to be mixed and matched and shared. Somewhat following this theme, Imli even has a tasting menu at £16.50 or £22.50 per person. A special set menu is available at lunchtimes; it costs £7.50 and the dishes change regularly. (Menus are available on the website.)
On our visit, all of our party opted for the lunchtime set menu, which was basically a thali. All meals included small bowls of papdi chaat (a very tasty combination of 'wholewheat crisps', bean sprouts and sweet yoghurt), dal curry, a curry featuring 'vegetable of the day', and fresh-cut salad. The fifth bowl was either a meat curry or (for those choosing the vegetarian option) a paneer dish. The meal was served with rice and a small dish of chutney. Photo of the vegetarian option
Ewan found the dal to be the best of the dishes, with the 'vegetable of the day' (mushroom) curry spicy but slightly disappointing. Kat was happy with her chicken dish (which was brought out in error, as she had ordered pork, but was offered free of charge while the chef readied the pork curry). Kake and Ewan both enjoyed the paneer dish, which had cubes of firm paneer in a tasty green sauce - spinach? - and wasn't overly rich like paneer dishes can often be.
As well as a small selection of wines and beers, they also offer interesting soft drinks. Ewan tried the fresh lime juice (£2.85, available either sweet or salty), which was refreshing although with an odd taste incorporating both salt and sugar. Kake tried the thyme lemonade (£2.95), which was exactly what it sounded like, and had just the right amount of thyme flavour.
Service was attentive without being overbearing and the food was brought out promptly. An optional 12.5% service charge was automatically added to the bill - slightly over the odds for a casual restaurant in London.
According to their website, Imli was "launched by the team behind Tamarind" (a Michelin-starred Indian restaurant in Mayfair). They also do takeaway and delivery, and you can order online from Urbanbite.
On a January 2009 visit, itsbruce's main dishes (Papdi Chaat, Bhel Puri and Prawn with Green Mango salad) all arrived a bit before Dean's (Spiced Potato Cakes, Sautéed Lamb, Spicy Squid) but this is understandable given that itsbruce chose exclusively from the cold menu. The dishes were all good and varied (e.g. the lamb was peppery as opposed to the chili heat of the Dal side dish). The only disappointing dish was a green salad side dish, which arrived last of all and was designed with presentation in mind rather than eating. 3 dishes each plus a side and a soft drink came to just under £42 including the service charge.
itsbruce is possibly a little obsessive about healthy eating and that can easily be done at Imli with a little attention to the menu.
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