Jamavar

If you want to eat some excellent Indian dishes that range from a Keralan scallop moilee sponsored by Lurpak, to a Rajasthani laal maas you’ll think about once every couple of weeks for the foreseeable—Jamavar can deliver. But if you’re after the kind of memorable experience that’ll leave an impression beyond the impressive food, this Michelin-starred Indian spot in Mayfair can be a bit of a snoozefest.

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

Jamavar’s interiors are inspired by Viceroy’s House—a presidential palace in New Delhi—and this spot has certainly got all of the brass accenting, some of the stiffness, and a hundredth of the space. Set over two floors, tables are a bit too close for comfort so you’ll often involuntarily eavesdrop on the double date to your right or overhear some dry business chat to your left. Despite the cosy set-up, a dinner here isn’t relaxing. You’ll need a smoke signal to get hold of a server, and once you do it feels very ‘let’s get down to business’. However, Jamavar serves some of the best Indian food in London when you order right which eclipses the sometimes dull experience.

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

The slow-cooked lamb curry is a faultless dish, and Malvani prawn curry strikes the perfect balance between tasting comforting and home-cooked, and being better than anything you could make at home. But sometimes the food misses the mark. The lamb chops are disappointing and bland, and the butter chicken is forgettable—which isn’t what you expect when you’re paying over £30 for it. Come when you can put the meal on a company card—and just make sure you order right.

Food Rundown

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

Scallop Moilee

These scallops are more buttery than your little sibling when they’re trying to get a lift to the station. And the coconut sauce is the kind of thing you want to keep around to soak up with an equally buttery naan.

Adraki Lamb Chops

When we pay more than £50 for some lamb chops, they better be good. But these were dry, bland, and OK. At best.

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

Malvani Prawn Curry

Although we’d like a couple more of the meaty prawns in the curry, the coconutty sauce—that’s silkier than an Afghan hound that’s just come out of the groomers—makes up for it. Order this for the table.

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

Laal Maas

One of the best lamb curries we’ve had in London, this eight-hour slow-cooked blushing pink lamb shank slides off the dramatic-looking bone without leaving behind a trace of meat. That, plus the moppable, tomatoey red curry sauce makes this an excellent main.

Old Delhi Butter Chicken

We love a good butter chicken. While this was perfectly nice, it was a whole lot of sauce, not much chicken, and slightly underwhelming.

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

Dum Nalli Biryani

Yes, there’s a pattern here. Where there’s lamb involved at Jamavar, you should follow. This biryani arrives with a pretty golden pastry hat, and the biryani is flavourful, with crispy onions and chunks of tender lamb shank. Make sure you eat every last bit of that flaky pastry lid.

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

Pistachio Milk Cake

A lot of pistachio milk cakes are disappointing, but this almost-fluorescent green number isn’t one of them. The light and creamy milk cake comes in a pool of nutty, sweet pistachio sauce—save some stomach space for this.