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Best for: Splashing the cash in The West End.

Great: Indian cuisine (its strength), underground restaurant.

The life of a +1 is a sumptuous one. Swan into a restaurant, munch through a meal of (usually) decent quality, spend a few hours idly chit-chatting about how the internet is stalking you, and pause occasionally to offer nuggets of opinionated wisdom to your restaurant critic friend. The restaurant enjoys your glowing remarks; you leave without paying. It’s a win-win situ for all.

However, take one experienced restaurant critic with a few kills under his belt, couple him with an acutely observant Mayfair restaurant manager as his +1, and suddenly it becomes much harder for the restaurant under scrutiny to pass its MOT.

In this particular instance the victim was Tamarai; a Pan-Asian restaurant; in The West End; serving....pause to shudder....’fusion’ food. A collection of heinous cliches that even people from Essex would probably try to avoid. Or so it would seem.

The two industry know-it-alls, in their desperate attempts to out-analyse each other, begin their evening somewhere between mild scepticism and preemptive defamation, whilst the seemingly hapless Tamarai sneaks up between them, nudges defamation out the way, and replaces it with hints of appreciation, right under their very noses.

Taking the first swing, the critic moans how the toilets were the first thing he noticed when they arrived. His nemesis counterattacks, suggesting that the discreet, unassuming entrance at street level opened into an inviting labyrinth of mysterious corridors, which exuded a feeling of exclusivity so enthralling, even a momentary glimpse of lavatorial signage could not taint any further proceedings.

Immediately, he knows he’s met his match.

She makes a face that says “this is no restaurant, it’s a club”, pointing out the DJ booth, the green-to-pink-to-purple flickering lights, and the swanky, raised VIP area.

He readies his retort - “Indeed, and have you noticed how many young couples are here? This club is for munchers and daters, as well as movers and shakers” - but before he’s able to voice these words, his Mon Cherrie cocktail distracts him; a darling of cherry vodka, several lovelies of passionfruit, and a wink of orange bitters. How very!

Following a brief, yet fiery, miniature soup - the taste equivalent of being slapped about the face by a burning coconut that knows karate - the critic and his guest begin their assault on a tasting menu. Their large table is largely needed. There is much to be shared.

“Nice”, “flavoursome”, “well-cooked”: platitudes best left to the review-by-numbers conformists at ViewLondon. The Fluid critic sees the world blessed by a more emotive glossary. Thankfully, the lady opposite concurs. They agree that the spring rolls are bored; the vegetable and silken tofu dumplings are held captive by red sauce; and the chargrilled chicken salad is demoralised, despite being as pretty as Penelope plus Mónica Cruz multiplied by a basket of kittens.

But then they sample the baby calamari, which is sporting a mention of roasted rice powder and gladly reminds both protagonists of India, even though neither have ever been. The soft shell crab with flame roast coconut and masala mayo happily tickles a nostalgic nerve; Bombay Mix joyfully springs to mind. And the sweet chilli lotus root with coriander is a nutty movie snack with the potential to hit the big time.

Rushing through a brief synopsis of the mains in order to prevent his readers from falling asleep with tedium, the critic then describes the black tiger prawns with butter pepper garlic as a triumph (“Back of the net!”) whereas the green Thai curry is lugubriously drab and, much like Manchester footballers, not befitting of an inflated price tag.

Blissfully, he finishes the Scottish beef and chilli xo sauce, before suddenly realising that the combination of spicy beef and his guest’s monologue about movies that ‘aren’t as good as the book’ are causing a sensory overload. Fwhoo! Chilli and conversation: a volatile, yet agreeable, union. A swig of delicate New Zealand Marlborough Chardonnay subdues the beast. He disguises his enjoyable pain by mentioning how the wine list enhances the ‘Lotus Route’ flavours of south east Asia. It doesn’t enhance his bravado, though. She’s ignoring him in favour of dessert.

The chef’s dessert platter is a stunner, and the critic deems it an afters assault course. Lifting a French Muscat to his lips, he leaves the dessert expert to scorn the beautiful yet disappointing fruit salad, coconut brulee, sticky toffee pudding, and white chocolate semi freddo. The winners at this stage of the game: banana ice cream and elderflower sorbet.

Overall, the dark, brooding sexiness of Tamarai is mirrored by the evening shared by the critic and his Mayfair +1. The swift service, the sharing style, and the crisp, dry cooking (that excels particularly in the Indian dishes) are best suited to those who care less for West End theatre and more for entire evenings spent boxing lyrical about lotus flowers and the internet.

Reviewed by Christian Rose-Day.

DESCRIPTION: Tamarai restaurant and bar launched at the end of September 2006 on Drury Lane in Covent Garden. The restaurant serves Pan Asian cuisine and seats 110 for lunch and dinner with an additional bar capacity of 200. Rare among London restaurants, guests dining at Tamarai can enjoy a late night license and complimentary parking in the building.

The lotus, a symbol of the sun, of creation and rejuvenation is considered to be the first flower to appear on earth and is intrinsic to the folklore of some of the world’s ancient civilizations. Symbolising the eight-fold path to enlightenment in Buddhism, as well as in Hindu mythology, the lotus is a form that has inspired art and emotion through the ages and is the icon that has been the design and cuisine inspiration for Tamarai (from the pronunciation of thamarai – chettinad/tamil for lotus).

Tamarai’s head chef has travelled and trained extensively within the southern Indian region of Chettinad, (located at the coastal line of the Bay of Bengal) and is bringing with him specialists in each cuisine including a grand master chef from Chettinad. The brigade also includes dim sum chefs who prepare a larger variety of dim sum for lunch to accompany an extensive range of salads and juices from a juice bar.

The regularly changing menu features dishes such as Grilled Baby Barramundi with Nam Prik Pao Noodles, Penang Curry Sea bass with Spicy Mee Krob, Chettinad Rabbit Varuval with Cinnamon Scented Poha and Tomato Mustard Chutney, Char Grilled Beef with Malay Chilli Jam and Green Papaya Salad, Vietnamese Caramel Pepper Prawns with Golden Garlic, Burmese Chicken Kauk Swey, Sweet Chilli Lotus Stem with Chives and Coriander.

In addition to the restaurant and bar, Tamarai also has a private dining room, a photo arcade and a digital gallery that showcases cutting edge art and can be transformed into a screening room too. Tamarai is Old World Hospitality’s second London restaurant after Chor Bizarre, Mayfair. The company operates India’s largest foodservice and entertainment centre as well as 11 restaurants in New Delhi. (Updated 05/11/2010)

Tamarai Opening Hours

Day	Hours	Day	Hours
Monday	Closed	Tuesday	Closed
Wednesday	Closed	Thursday	Closed
Friday	Closed	Saturday	Closed
Sunday	Closed

Customer Reviews for Tamarai

“For most of the times when we dine out, we end up spending more than we had thought. But the experience at Tamarai turned it around. Value for money is the first thing i can associate to this restaurant. The food, service, decor all bundle up to give good value in terms of experience and money. The music, energy and the crowd, everything works for the restaurant just right! Also, an interesting bit was the kind of wines this place sports. Lovely wines with its great menu made a lot of sense for us. All in all, a very cool and comfortable restaurant to be! Loved it :)”
Rating: — Albert Henrry, London (05 Feb 2011)

“A bit pricey, even though it is in Covent Garden, but I'd definitely recommend it for anyone who is looking to impress that special someone. Choose the Indian dishes as well. They're miles better than the rest of the menu. Skip dessert and get a cocktail instead.”
Rating: — Guinea Pig, Northwick Park (05 Nov 2010)

“Amazing music, energy and vibes at the bar that kept my friends and me going on till wee hours. The in-house DJ did some real rocking job with the music and wines were a sure wow. One of the best places to hang out at night”
Rating: — caroline, London (01 Oct 2010)

“We really enjoy dining at Tamarai It is always great for a large group and even for just a small family.”
Rating: — Connor, Manchester (11 Nov 2009)

“We were the first to arrive at this restaurant and the atmosphere and service was excellent. The food was superb.”
Rating: — connor, covent garden (12 Oct 2009)

View all user reviews (17).

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