Kennington Tandoori

Chris Hudson heads down to Kennington to discover a smarter side to Indian dining.

If the thought of Indian dining conjures up images of cheesy flock
wallpaper, endless supplies of poppadums and vindaloos so hot they make
your eyes stream, it might be time for something different. Just a
five-minute walk from the tube station, Kennington Tandoori is a
pleasant reminder that Indian restaurants can also be sophisticated.

The decor’s smart and spacious with a stylish bar area and high glass
ceilings, with a private dining room to the rear. And it isn’t just the
restaurant that looked incredible: presentation was the top of the
agenda and more than matched the amazing flavours. The entree of a mixed
platter was more like a work of art than a plate of food: it seemed a
shame to disturb it. The seafood biryani was also as much of a visual
feast as a main course, presented in miniature mounds of scrumptious
fish sauce, rice mix and cooling cucumber dressing. But this wasn’t to
detract from the great taste and texture of the experience: the lamb
passanda was amazingly creamy and moreish, the lamb so tender it flaked
under the fork. A cracking cardamom and chocolate mousse to finish meant
our stomachs were both full and satisfied.

The Kennington Tandoori certainly demonstrated that it’s worth the
effort to get away from the hustle and bustle of the centre of town and
look away from the wellknown chain restaurants. Then you too can see
there’s more to Indian restaurants than that awful 1970s-style flock
wallpaper.