One of the most well known Indian restaurants in Mayfair, Chor Bizarre might have odd decor, but the food and prices are spot on.

The Venue
Chor Bizarre first opened its doors in London in 1997 after success in New Delhi restaurant. Named after, and in homage to, the Chor Bazaar, or the thieves’ market where all sorts of junk and bric-a-brac can be found, the decor of the restaurant is a mishmash of different furniture and pieces of artwork. None of the chairs match, enormous gilded mirrors sit next to carved wooden masks, a gramophone balances on a high shelf and there’s even a table made out of a sewing machine. Strangely though, this very anti-Mayfair decor all works together so that you feel as if you’re eating in the home of a world traveller who’s just come back from the trip of a lifetime.

The Atmosphere
The clientele is made up of a lot of local businessmen with a smattering of small groups. Service is friendly but a little disorganised, as different people are constantly taking your order and bringing and taking away food – you might not see the same person more than once.

The Food
Well-priced Indian food that’s very, very good. Most meat dishes are around £13, whilst vegetarian meals are £7.50 – although, like most Indian restaurants, rice and naan aren’t included. It can add up, but for Mayfair it’s cheap as chips.

Starters of orange rasm soup is pleasantly spiced and citrusy, whilst the pakoras (fried spinach, aubergine, cauliflower and potatoes) are also tasty, if a bit heavily fried. These come with a strawberry chutney, which looks and tastes pretty much like a slightly-less-sweeter-than-normal strawberry jam. It might seem odd to be dipping fried cauliflower into strawberries, but as you’re probably sitting on a sewing machine, just go with the flow.

There are pages and pages of mains to choose from – the indecisive should go for the traditional thalis, which give a little bit of everything for about £24. Channa dal tadka, off the vegetarian menu, is a well-balanced mix of lentils, garlic, cumin and green chillis, whilst the gosht lazeez (lamb with cashew nut sauce) is very tender, the sauce sweet and thick.

Desserts are nearly as tasty as mains – the tandoori pineapple with cinnamon and stem ginger ice cream a standout, sweet and sharp at the same time – but unfortunately the mango kulfi tastes chalky and overly sweet.

The Drink
Chor Bizarre currently offers a food and wine pairing menu, in which every dinner choice is matched with at least two wine options. If you’d like to pick your own, however, the wine list is two pages long and ranges from £16 to £44, with wines from Chile, South Africa, France, Italy and New Zealand, just to name a few. The house white is a French wine, General Bilimoria Terret Sauvignon Blanc; it’s mild but goes well with the rich food. Other drinks include a large list of spirits, Cobra and Kingfisher beer, and some inventive cocktails, including a Golden Peacock, made with Galliano, creme de cacao, Cointreau and mango juice, as well as a minty mango daiquiri and a tamarind margarita.

The Last Word
If you fancy yourself a connoisseur of Indian food, give this a go. It might not be a destination restaurant, but the quality food, cool decor and well-priced food should keep the Mayfair customers coming for another ten years and more.

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