Is Hot Stuff the most madcap, offbeat restaurant in London? You’d better believe it.

The Venue
Occupying a very ordinary, rather desolate, shop-lined cobbled street off Wandsworth Road, there’s nothing at all ordinary about this family-run, left-field restaurant. It’s small and usually extremely busy. There are chillis suspended from the ceiling, painted red flames licking up the walls as well as moving flames projected on to the window. Glowing (excuse the pun) reviews are plastered along the walls. Access to the toilets is gained though the kitchen, where you come face to face with the laidback madcap geniuses responsible for this mayhem. With all due respect, they look like they have just woken up still in last night’s clothes.

The Atmosphere
Hot Stuff is brimming, brash and bubbly. Strings of neon lights form part of the decor, the tables are formica-topped and the whole place is frequently totally re-arranged in order to fit in parties and groups of friends (sometimes three of four different ones in one night). Drum n bass occasionally escapes from the kitchen like a clap of thunder.

The Food
After sitting down, unordered poppadoms arrive with a selection of sauces. Don’t be surprised if, when the staff hears that you’ve never been there before, you get a few things thrown in for free.

The seafood starter is very good, consisting of squid, mussels, octopus and prawns coated in a mild spicy sauce. The minced lamb kofte are wonderfully soft and tasty in a light batter. For mains, the Kerala chicken has a mildly-spiced coconut flavour and the chunks of meat are tender. The tilapia in the fish curry is firm and is served in tangy tomato sauce. Elsewhere there are all the perennial favourites from chicken tikka masala to lamb ghosht.

At the end of the meal doggy bags are plonked on the table and diners fill them up with whatever they want to take away. Then the waiter comes around with a big box of sweets—everything from jelly babies to lollipops—which he hands out to everyone. When the bill arrives it is in fact the slip of paper used for the order and is suitably grease-stained, with £24 scrawled on it (£22 for cash). That’s for two, by the way.

The Drink
Hot Stuff isn’t licensed, so the shop next door does a roaring trade in Tiger beer. Bring your own and drink up some alcohol along with the atmosphere.

The Last Word
A law unto itself, Hot Stuff has to be experienced to be believed. Go there, marvel, and pass it on.

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