128 Holland Park Avenue,
Holland Park,
London,
W11 4UE
0871 971 3538
The ViewLondon Review
There are no bicycles to be seen, in fact, it’s more Jags and Mercs around here, but the modern Indian food is some of the best this side of Bombay.The VenueLocated on the busy thoroughfare Holland Park Avenue, a two minute walk from Holland Park tube station, the Bombay Bicycle Club is easily located with trendy black and hot pink signage denoting the entrance. The ritzy location is complemented by a glamorous and contemporary interior, with floor-to-ceiling windows, a mirrored wall, bleached wood floors, comfortable orange cushioned banquettes, and bejewelled lampshades.
The AtmosphereThe Bombay Bicycle Club attracts a trendy, upscale West London crowd, with a mix of people from suited and booted wealthy bankers to Asian families keen to sample the authentic Indian cuisine. It gets very busy most nights between 8pm and 10pm, and the service can become quite slow, but the staff make keeping it all under control look effortless, with friendly smiles and plenty of cheeky banter as they take your order.
The FoodThe menu here is modern and varied, with a wide choice of spicy chicken, seafood and lamb dishes, all prepared freshly and expertly by the tandoor chefs. If you want to make a sociable start to the meal, a great option is to kick off with the chicken and lamb mixed kebabs for two to share. Priced at less than a tenner, they arrive sizzling from tandoor oven, and taste fresh and tender.
The choice of main courses is staggering, but the staff are happy to pause and guide you through the options with warnings on how spicy certain dishes are if you don’t like your curries too hot! House speciality Bulsari Salmon, at £10.50, is a spicy pan fried salmon fillet with yoghurt, which tastes smoky and subtly spiced to bring out the flavour of the fish. Just as enjoyable is the £9.75 Chicken Murgh Mangalore, with hot green chillies, herbs and spices. This is a really hot dish, definitely not for the faint hearted, with a sauce guaranteed to blow your socks off and melt in the mouth chicken breast. Overall, the main courses are a little expensive by the time you’ve added rice at £4.50 and naan breads around £3, and the portions are on the small side, but they are perfectly executed and the emphasis on quality ingredients more than makes up for it.
Unusually for an Indian restaurant, there are some decent dessert options worth saving space for, such as mango cheesecake, cinnamon chocolate fudge cake and white chocolate and stem ginger cheesecake, priced at £4.25.
The DrinkSince extending their wine list to offer wider choices, Bombay Bicycle Club offers up to 24 wines and Champagnes, with the house wine from £12.50 a bottle and Champagne from just £25. It’s worth asking the Italian manager for his wine recommendations.
The Last WordThe focus on quality ingredients and great presentation of modern Indian cuisine makes the Bombay Bicycle Club a big hit, even justifying the top-end prices and occasional wait.