REVIEW: Talli Joe, Shaftesbury Avenue, Covent Garden, London

I say it all the time and I’ll say it again – Indian food is my guilty pleasure. It’s rich, fragrant, interesting and insanely calorific – so what’s not to like? Well nothing if you ask me. In my quest for Indian perfection across London I’ve found my favourites over the years and watched the traditional British Curry House industry leave the streets and move online, making the way for real Indian food across the streets of London. One of those shiny new establishments is Talli Joe, a casual all-day Restaurant and bar serving up Indian half plates which explore this vibrant country from north to south. Talli, means a happy intoxicated state of being, often rendering the legs useless – the perfect name for a restaurant which will leave you tumbling out the door from far too much food and potent cocktails.

The best way to start a meal here at Talli Joe is with cocktails. A huge menu of Indian inspired concoctions which take you on a journey across Indian, from North, East, South and West. We tried our fair share but settled on a firm favourite – the Holy Basil. A delicious mix of whiskey, basil leaves, grapefruit syrup, tea and a Prosecco top. It was helped along nicely with a palate enticing masala papad, the perfect pre-nibble.

The thing I love most about Talli Joe is the spice. Everything you eat here has it, but the level of it is just right. Enough to create a tingling in the back of your throat, but lasting for just a few minutes. One dish which can’t be missed is the incredibly satisfying kale chaat. A spin on the classic chaat is made with crispy kale, potato, pomegranate and sweet yogurt which creates a whirlwind of flavours in the mouth. The truffled ghee kulcha naan with cottage cheese and truffle was another stunning dish, going down in my blog history as the most legendary naan to date – the coriander chutney on the side was great too.

The more you delve into the menu, the better it gets and the richer it becomes. The lamb chops here are absolutely divine, smothered in tandoori rub, cooked to perfection and served alongside a spiced potato salad and mustard dressing – it’s the stuff of dreams. The lamb roast on the bone was a rich curry inspired by the Golbaari of Kolkata – one of India’s most famous restaurants still standing after 93 years. The dish was served with a few puffed luchis on the side, perfect for mopping up the leftover juices.

Saving the best till last was a dish I’m still dreaming about to this day – Nihari Nalli. Dating back to the Nawabi days and cooked with patience. Slowly cooked for hours on end, producing a rich, silky sauce with so much depth – yet a refinement in the mouth unlike anything I’ve ever encountered. You really need to try it to experience it. The kadak roti was again lovely for soaking up the juices though if given the option I’d have liked a thinner, more simpler roti. The banana leaf wrapped sea bass & rice bake was my least favourite dish of the evening and was perhaps a little too fragrant meaning two bites was enough. My dining companion on the other hand loved it, so perhaps the dish just wasn’t to my taste.

Full on half plates and tipsy on full drinks we refused dessert – yet it somehow appeared in front of us and I’m so glad it did. It may look simple, yet it was anything but. A bowl of creamy baked yogurt muddled with seasonal berries. Refreshing, tasty, satisfying – the perfect way to end a meal.

Talli Joe has stiff competition in London theses days and with tradition Indian dining on the rise and with so many others already commanding queues, will this new Indian restaurant be here to stay? Of course it will. Talli Joe is one of London’s best Indian restaurants and if a real taste of India is what you seek – look no further. This is it.

I was invited to review