The Best Indian Restaurants in Knightsbridge and Nearby
The best Indian restaurant in Knightsbridge is Amaya, the Michelin-starred grill in Halkin Arcade, and it is the one to book if you only book one. Within a short walk or a couple of stops there are five more strong choices: two modern Indian kitchens near Sloane Square, a Mumbai-inspired landmark by Gloucester Road, a palace-style dining room on Kensington High Street and an all-day café for something easier. All six are open now and were checked on their own websites.
Amaya
Amaya opened in 2005 and has held a Michelin star since 2006. The open kitchen is built around three Indian grilling techniques, the tandoor, the tawa griddle and the charcoal sigri, with meat, seafood and vegetables cooked to order after marinating in regional spices. The smoked chilli Welsh spring lamb chop and the seafood platter, the house signature, are the dishes to order, with a curry or biryani from the monthly changing list. Find Amaya at Halkin Arcade, 19 Motcomb Street, SW1X 8JT, five minutes from Knightsbridge station.
Kahani
Kahani means story in Hindi, and chef Peter Joseph uses it to tell a lighter version of the Indian food story: fewer heavy sauces, more grilled meat, fish and vegetables from the robata grill and tandoor, with seasonal British ingredients given Indian spicing. It is a polished, grown-up room that suits a business dinner as well as a date. It opens for dinner every evening and adds lunch from Thursday to Sunday. Book through Kahani's website; it is at 1 Wilbraham Place, SW1X 9AE, a few minutes from Sloane Square station.
Kutir
Kutir, from chef Rohit Ghai and Abhishake Sangwan, occupies a Chelsea townhouse and takes its name from the idea of a small cottage in the middle of nowhere. The menu changes regularly and draws on regions across India and on Indian wildlife and heritage. As well as the à la carte there is a set lunch, a tasting menu called Expeditions and a vegan tasting menu, with cocktails and a wine list of rarer bottles. It is open from 1pm to 10pm daily. The address is 10 Lincoln Street, SW3 2TS, close to Sloane Square station.
Bombay Brasserie
A Kensington landmark since 1982, Bombay Brasserie brings the food of Mumbai to an elegant dining room opposite Gloucester Road station. The menu reflects the city's many culinary influences, with regional dishes from across India, and the Bombay Bar is a good place for a champagne or cocktail before you sit down. It is part of the Taj group and keeps a busy calendar of festival menus, including Diwali. The address is Courtfield Road, SW7 4QH, a pleasant walk from the Natural History Museum if you are combining it with a museum day.
Zaika of Kensington
Zaika, a sister restaurant to Tamarind in Mayfair, serves the feasting traditions of India's royal palaces in a contemporary style. The setting is part of the appeal: a Grade II listed building designed in 1884 for the London City Bank, with its Gothic Revival details restored. There is a weekend lunch, a private dining room and an inventive cocktail list. Lunch runs Tuesday to Sunday and dinner every day. You will find it at 1 Kensington High Street, W8 5NP, facing the park and a short walk from High Street Kensington station.
Dishoom Kensington
For something more casual, Dishoom's Kensington branch is themed on the jazz clubs of 1940s Bombay and runs from breakfast to late. Start the day with a bacon naan roll or akuri, keep lunch light with a paneer roomali roll, or settle in for a longer evening with an India Gimlet. It opens at 8am on weekdays and 9am at weekends and closes at 11pm. It is at 4 Derry Street, W8 5SE, by High Street Kensington station, which makes it a good stop after a walk through Hyde Park.
Good to know
Amaya and Kahani are the two to book first for a special occasion, with Kutir the choice if you want a tasting menu in a more intimate setting. Bombay Brasserie and Zaika suit larger groups, and Dishoom works for families and early starts. Several of these kitchens close between lunch and dinner, and menus change with the seasons, so check each website before you go. If you are staying nearby and want an Indian meal close to Harrods, Amaya is the closest of the six to Knightsbridge station.
