As repeated recipients of Michelins, as well as plenty more plaudits from across the culinary world, it's little wonder that the food at Tamarind is exceptional. The real surprise, though, comes from just how thoroughly relaxed and welcoming a venue it is.

The Venue
At street level all that’s visible of Tamarind is an understated façade of glass and clean geometric lines, set discreetly amongst the palatial Regency architecture of the area. So far, so Mayfair. On entry the first hints of what sets this place apart from its ostentatious neighbours is revealed in the genuinely happy smile offered at the coat check. The dining room resides in the basement, accessed by a simple flight of stairs that turn sharply into a luxurious and intimate room bedecked in hues of brown, gold and white that suit the heavy furniture and extravagant central floral displays. The dining room contains a bar at one end and a glimpse into the kitchen at the other, with a combination of banquet seating and well spaced smaller tables dotted around central columns that fill the space between. It’s a simple, yet elegant room, and one that seems entirely appropriate for dining as good as this.

The Atmosphere
Unfortunately, many restaurants hold true to the feeling that the more expensive the food, the less fun you have whilst eating it. It’s a balance many diners willingly accept in the pursuit of gastronomic pleasure but Tamarind joyfully proves that it needn’t be so. Here the restaurant hums with the kind of buzz you’d expect from a well loved local curryhouse, albeit with clinks emanating from champagne flutes rather than pint glasses. The staff at Tamarind are charming and well informed, and act as impressive hosts, demonstrating absolute (and justified) confidence in everything they bring to the table.

The Food
It may have a gorgeous venue, fantastic atmosphere and great wine, but it’s on the plate that Tamarind really delivers. 16 years into its tenure as London’s beacon of top class Indian food (including the loss of Atul Kochhar a decade ago), lesser restaurants might have slipped into complacency, or buckled under the weight of expectation. At Tamarind the menu smacks of a chef inspired to keep pushing boundaries within a cuisine he loves. Attention to detail, understanding of flavour and deftness of touch are first evident in the homemade chutneys that accompany fresh poppadoms – the date chutney wonderfully offsetting the sweetness of the fruit with punchy, fragrant spices.

Indian menus often run to hundreds of dishes, at the sight of which discombobulated diners plump for well established favourites. At Tamarind they've hit just the right balance with a menu that encourages and rewards experimentation. Starters all sit around the £10 mark and offer a multitude of pleasures. The aloo tikki – delicate, soft potato cakes flavoured with spinach and fenugreek and given texture by crisp sago crust – are superb; papdi chaat – a spiced chickpea dish with a perfectly matched mint sauce acting as foil to the earthy cumin, turmeric and cardamom – are delightful; and malai tikka – chicken with ginger, coriander and chilli – is a masterclass in the benefits of the tandoor, the meat so soft and creamy it melts like butter.

For the brave of appetite a kebab course - £25 for a selection plate as recommended by the waiter – is a fabulous transition from morsels to mains. Lamb, kingfish and mushroom kebabs all display the refinement and innovation Alfred Prasad is rightly lauded for – the lamb chops in particular boast complex yet complementary flavours of papaya, chilli and anise layered through marinating, cooking and seasoning.

Mains (at around the £20 mark) continue to impress. Slow cooked lamb is a tender joy and sits perfectly in a delicate sauce of browned garlic, turmeric and yoghurt. Chicken tikka (murgh makhni) is unrecognisable from the bright red slop some are in such thrall to. Here, tender tandoor-cooked chicken melts into a delicate tomato sauce lifted by chillis and fenugreek. Simple sides, fragrant rice and a variety of handmade naans make up a stellar supporting cast, with dal makhni such a fine suffusion of black lentils, delicate citrus notes and multi layered spices it deserves star billing in its own right.

Desserts are simple, and all the better for it after such a rich and flavoursome menu. The rice pudding is sensitively spiced with nutmeg and blueberries; a simple, perfectly executed mango sorbet offers an even lighter touch, but a rich, velvety chocolate mousse is on offer for those still hankering after richer tastes. A gastronomic tour de force is completed with an exquisite and inventive amuse bouche of frozen mint leaf wrapped in a fine layer of white chocolate.

The Drink
With so much happening on the plate the wine list needs to be quite something to keep up. And it is. An expert combination of old and new world wines spans grapes and blends to draw the best from each region and type, and it’s a list that manages to both match and enhance the bold flavours, spices and ingredients coming from the kitchen.

With a nod to the postcode (and the inherent robustness of the wine) there’s a large section of the list devoted some tantalising Bordeauxs, but it’s in the less traditional section that the artistry of the sommelier can be found. The 3 Amigos and Savia Viva cavas are fantastic accompaniments to chicken, fish and potato dishes – the delicate citrus notes and woody undertones of both executing the right level of challenge and support to the spices on the plate.

For those opting for darker meats the Argentinian malbec is a rich and smokey match for lamb or vegetable, and the pinots and sauvignons on offer all share the necessary depth and complexity to hold their own – as, no doubt, do the bottles throughout what’s an extensive range.

The Last Word
Anyone wishing to experience the best of Indian food in a relaxed, sophisticated and thoroughly enjoyable environment should look no further than Tamarind.

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