Cinnamon Bazaar Restaurant Review: Colour & Flavour at Chef Vivek Singh’s Newest and Welcomed London Addition

It’s true, I’m a full-fledged Cinnamon virgin! Well, the restaurant kind at least. Chef Vivek Singh is probably one of the most famous Indian chefs in London, a celebrity if you will. Appearing on cooking shows and TV appearances. As well as owning a total of four London restaurants and one cocktail bar – plus a multitude of cooking books having been published. My ignorance of never visiting his restaurants before isn’t by choice, but because there are simply so many other venues right now and my stomach can only eat in so many of them. Take Jason Atherton – another chef whose restaurants I’ve never managed to experience.

While this restaurant is looking rather dishy on the outside, it’s looking even better inside. A mixture of modern-day London and the colourful bazaars of India. Beautiful pink silk drapes hanging from the ceiling, hand-stenciled walls with flickers of gold, painted lanterns and tables with the Cinnamon leaf (I’m assuming) burnt into them. It’s the little things. On top of all of that a living garden hangs above and around you, taking in all the light from the conservatory skylight.

My gin julep cocktail with mint, mango and black cardamom admittedly wasn’t my favourite, but it was at least refreshing. A bazaar old-fashioned was much more successful. When it comes to the food however they don’t hold back. With a very large chaat menu we started with the house papdi chaat which was absolutely divine. Stunning to look at and just as exciting in the mouth. The crispy wheat discs had a good crunch and the sweet tamarind sauce, yoghurt, coriander chutney and chickpea vermicelli all tasted incredibly fresh. A must order dish and very good value at just £4.50.

The samosa chaat was of course every bit as delicious as such a dish always is and the Punjabi samosa they serve with it was excellent. Holding their crispy shape amongst all the yogurt and tamarind sauce. Better still was these golden coloured crab bonda. It was the dish I wasn’t going to order, that was recommended to me. Admittedly I thought it looked a little dry when it arrived – but I couldn’t have been any more wrong. The soft chickpea batter revealed an inside mixture of moist shredded crab meat and sweet earthy beetroot. It turned out to be one of my favourite dishes.

I’ve probably already revealed my star dish, but then I realised I had another. Tender tandoori Kentish lamb fillet with mint and chilli, all swimming in a sauce of creamy korma and topped with masala cashew nuts. Loads of great textures and lots of flavour. The side of sesame honey chilli and garlic potatoes were a great accompaniment too and again very good value as far as sides go.

Go for the prawns too. The pepper fry, a mixture of fragranced curry leaf, cracked black pepper and pepper fry shrimp. An absolute delight which we struggled to finish, given the generous portion sizes – especially after the amount of food we’d eaten just before. The garlic naan was lovely too, covered in butter and lots of cooked garlic.

Desserts are a must here at Cinnamon Bazaar, especially the ice creams. Home-made and infused with some rather punchy flavours. Coffee, clove and masala spiced. Better still was the cardamom kheer crème brûlée. A cross between the classic creme brulee with its crunchy golden topping, but a rice pudding kheer below it – infused with lots of cardamom. Probably my new favourite dessert.

While I can’t comment on any of the other Cinnamon restaurants across the city, I’ve got every faith that they’re just as good as Vivek’s newest opening. Modern, delicately spiced Indian food which holds close Indian traditions – but adds a little bit of Western London on the side. Would we go back? Yes. A good cocktail, feasting on the many chaats and a kheer brulee to finish. It doesn’t disappoint and it won’t cost you the earth either.

NB: I was invited to review and my meal was complimentary. All views are as always, my own. My views are not influenced by anyone other than my own palate and slightly poor eyesight.