Namaaste Kitchen (Bar, Restaurant)

Top 10 things to know about Namaaste Kitchen:
 
1) It could stand alone for its poppadoms and chutney. You could easily forget the rest of the food, the service, the vibe, etc. You know that the most important aspect of an Indian meal is the extra snack tucked in there – the grown-up equivalent to Doritos and hummus, served in a plastic bowl while your dinner guests wait for their mains.

2) The mouthful-sized poppadoms come in a mixed pile of plain and spiced. You really know when you have a good meal coming your way when the fantastic chutneys include the sweet, lightly spiced, tomato chutney and the fiendishly hot, green chutney.

3) Once you’re over the chutney excitement, focus on the rest of the meal. The lamb chop starters are succulent, slightly charred and super spicy (with yet more of the spicy green stuff on the side if you love to test your sensitivity to heat).

4) Butter chicken curry is sweet and creamy with lots of coconut flavour. The Sea Food Sizzler on the grill menu, however, doesn’t live up to the high chutney expectations. There’s also some sort of chewy, minced fish and prawn kebab; two huge prawns, both a little tough; and some very tasty salmon; but is it worth the £18 price tag?

5) The passionfruit cheesecake, on the other hand, is definitely worth the money, with a sharp citrus tang, contrasting with the creamy cheesecake, rounding off the meal nicely.

6) Thankfully, for the drinkers, there’s more choice to accompany your meal than the watered down lager they serve in the Brick Lane restaurants. As well as a wine list, there’s a long cocktail list using ingredients such as mango, cardamom and chilli, so you can spice up your drink to your heart’s desire.

7) In line with their highbrow chutney, Namaaste is a step-up from the average Indian restaurants in London. The service is extremely attentive and the food is presented with thought, including the obligatory squiggle of sauce down the side of the plate.

8) The décor, while generally understated, has some intriguing 90s touches, such as white leather chairs, coloured lights and some sort of fibre optic light fitting. Are they meant in a ironic, hipster way?

9) Just off the main street in Camden, this restaurant seems to be mainly couples looking for a bit of romance or, more likely, hankering for that tasty chutney (and who can blame them!).

10) Namaaste Kitchen is (mostly) a treat from start to finish. Go gorge on the chutney, debate the intent behind the light fixtures, and sample a spicy cocktail or three....read more