London has a wide assortment of Indian restaurants, but there are few that are as consistently enjoyable and surprising an experience as Chelsea’s The Painted Heron. Located in the salubrious surroundings of Cheyne Walk, the first impression that any visitor has when walking into the dining room is that of modernity, with tasteful paintings adorning the white walls. This theme – tasteful modernity – applies to the menu as well, which moves beyond the usual Anglicised Indian favourites in order to concentrate on more daring, even esoteric combinations of flavours and ingredients.
Some of the most interesting dishes include such items as guinea fowl stir fried in spring onions, masala and cottage cheese, tandoori roasted lamb chump with tomato tamarind chutney and an excellent selection of side orders and breads. Some of the best are the sweet peshwari Naan, which comes with mango, coconut and pistachios, and a spinach and mushroom curry which is practically a meal in itself. If you want a more eclectic selection of the menu, there’s also an excellent value set price tasting menu that offers an overview with such items as seabass in Bengal mustard paste and lamb chops with nutmeg flowers.
Critics, locals and clued-up visitors have been raving about The Painted Heron even since it opened. Now it’s your turn to visit one of London’s best secrets.
112 Cheyne Walk, London SW10. www.thepaintedheron.com
