Rasoi, the eponymous Chelsea restaurant of Vineet Bhatia, is one of London’s few Indian establishments to boast a Michelin star, and were it not for Michelin’s apparent bias in favour of French cuisine, it’s not at all impossible that it wouldn’t boast a second. The hospitality and charm on display here are a world away from more bustling, swaggering establishments, best typified by the way that entry is secured by ringing the doorbell of a sedate-seeming townhouse.
Bhatia’s cooking is exemplary, moving beyond any idea of ‘Indian’ cuisine in favour of something fresh, new and delicious. After some of the best poppadums you’ll ever try, complete with to-die-for mango chutney, starters might include scallop and prawn brochette, complemented by wasabi ice cream, or a seafood medley of crab, salmon and prawn. Mains redefine expectations again; Achari guinea fowl breast with smoked aubergine mash is recognizably both Indian and a nod to European traditions, while a muscular oven baked spiced cod is about as far from the bland identikit fish curries of the high street as possible.
The wine list is significant both in terms of variety and price, but the helpful sommelier is on hand to recommend a suitable bottle, or half bottle, of which there is an excellent range. A visit here genuinely is a pleasure from start to finish.
10 Lincoln Street, Chelsea, SW3 www.rasoirestaurant.co.uk
