Chor Bizarre is like no other restaurant you will ever see. With its unique décor and brilliant cuisine, it’s a landmark destination in the heart of Mayfair.

The Venue
Chor Bizarre is a take on the Indian Chor Bazaar, or ‘thieves’ market’, to where all sorts of odds and ends are taken for sale. Bizarre really is the word to describe the room and its the contents. Every table and chair seems different and there are objets d’art everywhere, all acquired from India where there are other Chor Bizarre restaurants. You could sit at what was once a four-poster bed, gaze at mirrors and masks, peruse strange furniture, pictures, artefacts, clocks and other curiosities in what's a veritable museum of collectables.

The Atmosphere
It’s quite difficult to credit the sheer imagination that has gone in to the creation of what essentially appears to be an antiques emporium. It really is great fun and you will never get bored with the surroundings. The customers seem to enjoy the atmosphere and a purr of satisfaction permeates the large room. With all the various oddities of furniture and bric-a-brac, however, there is very little lighting, a fact that adds to the general ambience. What little illumination there is just enhances these spectacular surroundings. It’s just like dining in an Aladdin’s cave of eccentric treasures.

The Food
There’s nothing eccentric about the highly original menu at Chor Bizarre. As well as the regular menu there are occasional showcases of Indian regional cuisine, such as Southern Indian food. The Mysore masala dosa, a thin crisp pancake is served as a conical tower containing vegetables and chutneys. This is a delightful starter, light and piquant. Appam are fermented rice and coconut pancakes from Kerala, in soft and crisp versions with an excellent stew full of luscious chunks of chicken in a creamy broth that's flavoured with cloves and cardamom. From the regular menu the Purani dili ki papri chaat are crunchy biscuits of semolina and wheat smothered in chilled yoghurt, ginger and other spices - a tasty treat from the starters (£3.50-£8.50).

Main courses (£11-£16) field the fine sea bass Nilgiri with its subtle flavouring of green herbs, whilst huge coconut and coriander crusted prawns boast that wonderful charred taste of the barbecue. How Head Chef Manpreet Singh Ahuja makes his Chettinad lamb chops so tender is a miracle. Apparently marinating them in ginger does the trick and they are as superb and as succulent as can be. Vegetable dishes of aubergine, spinach and fried okra chips are an added bonus, with the okra being like little crunchy whitebait, unusual yet so tasty. To try a varied selection of items, the thalis (meat or vegetarian) offer nine separate dishes each. There’s also the South Indian Tiffin for two or the Kashmiri tarami, and both are a feast on a platter.

For dessert (£4.50-£6.50) there’s a choice of mango or raspberry sorbet, gulab jamun, rice pudding, mango kulfi and tandoori pineapple. Rasmalai is a sweet dessert of curd cheese boiled and served in sugared milk, a fine finish to a fantastic feast.

The Drink
Wine connoisseur Charles Metcalfe’s suggestions show which wines go with which dishes. There’s a good range of bottles priced from £14 rising to over £40. The General Bilimoria Merlot (£19) is an apt match for many of the dishes and makes a smooth accompaniment throughout the meal. There are wines from all around the world and beers including Indian Kingfisher and Cobra lagers. You can also sample excellent Indian teas paired with desserts in the Chai Bazaar which opens during the afternoon.

The Last Word
Head Chef, Mr Ahuja, has been at Chor Bizarre from shortly after it opened in 1997. Since then the food has got better and better and you won’t find such high standards anywhere else in the West End. It has earned its five stars, taking Indian cuisine to a very high level indeed.

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