It has been a good few months since I indulged in some good, hearty Indian cuisine, and I was thrilled to accept the invitation to visit Est. India to satisfy my cravings. Located close to London Bridge station, the restaurant had a warm and cosy feel to it, with some outdoor tables on the terrace for those who want to make the most of the warm summer months.
We started with a couple of Elephant Gin G&Ts alongside some small plates which included the Keema Nan Roll, crispy samosas filled with aromatic lamb, and a serving of Papri Chatt, a popular traditional fast food and street food which consisted of a moreish medley of crispy wafer, puffed rice, onions, coriander, chilli, tamarind sauce, and yoghurt.
After a tasty selection of nibbles and bites to whet our appetites, we ordered a selection of more substantial dishes to share. I requested for the small starter portions of each dish so that we could try more dishes – variety is after all the spice of life.
Lamb chops are always a no-brainer whenever I visit an Indian restaurant, and the Kashmiri lamb chops definitely did not disappoint. Wonderfully marinated with cardamom and Kashmiri spices, the lamb chops were extremely flavourful and succulent – best enjoyed being eaten with your fingers so that you can lick the bone clean!
I always love seafood dishes and ordered the Kasundi salmon tikka, cooked in a tandoor, and the Goan prawn curry which was probably my favourite dish of the meal. The king prawns were juicy and the rich sauce was really great for dipping with our garlic and coriander naan. We also enjoyed it mixed with the mushroom rice, and because I’m a big fan of mushrooms I also ordered the mushroom bhaji, a delicious spiced Indian mushroom recipe.
There were plenty of other dishes that sounded really good but of course we tried our best not to get stuck in a situation where our eyes are bigger than our stomach.
Their usual dessert selection wasn’t available that day, but they kindly served us some vanilla ice cream to cool down in the warm weather.
A lovely spot for a quick comfort food fix, or cosy, non-fussy meal with friends.
Est. India are also participating in the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme where you can get a 50% discount on food or non-alcoholic drinks when you dine in (up to a maximum of £10 discount per diner) every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday between 3rd and 31st August – bookings can be made via their website.
- I was invited to review Est. India – views and photos are my own.
