Pure Indian Cooking (Bar)

Top 10 things you need to know about PURE Indian Cooking:

1) When we say PURE Indian Cooking, we aren’t generalising about Indian cuisine because it’s actually the clever name of a charming family-run Indian restaurant near Putney Bridge on Fulham High Street.

2) The restaurant is cosy and ideal for a date night so be sure to book ahead. If you feel like staying at home during the British winter (or summer!), they also offer a takeaway and home delivery options for lucky SW London postcodes, complete with a loyalty scheme. Get 20 loyalty points (£2 off) just for signing up.

3) The atmosphere is homely and fun. This is very much your local Indian restaurant, but with a huge emphasis on the quality of the cooking. It’s owned by husband and wife team, Faheem Vanoo and Shilpa Dandekar, who both started their restaurant careers with the famed Taj group of hotels, palaces and resorts in India.

4) The menu reads like a sweet dream with familiar favourites and some rare, intriguing nuggets to look out for such as venison masala and creamy patra chaat (crispy colocasia leaves with yoghurt, date and tamarind chutney, pomegranate, onion, tomato).

5) A whole page of the menu is also dedicated to all things vegetarian. Our favourite was the creamy spinach and paneer cheese laced with brown garlic. In a close second was a rarely seen curry of asparagus and pine nuts with coconut.

6) The standout dish of the night was the tandoori sea bass; tasty, tender, delicately spiced with carom seeds and cooked just so. Ask for a little chunk of lemon to squeeze on top. Try it with a mushroom and brown garlic pulao rice on the side. The halibut fish curry (Chef’s own recipe) also stands out; mild and delicately spiced, with the meaty halibut coated in curry goodness.

7) The drinks list is in total harmony with the food. Cocktails have clever little touches, including a spiced margarita, and a lychee and lemongrass gimlet. More impressive are the beers; served in small bottles that pack a big punch. An Innis & Gunn Original Oak Aged beer works well with the strong spices. The Chimay red beer from Belgium (8.5% ABV!) is slightly fruity and has a lingering hoppy finish.

8) If you’re being good, you will love the range of mocktails and lassis (mango, sweet and salted). However, make sure to try the “pineapple and mint affair” of pineapple juice, mint leaves, lemon juice and a dash of sugar.

9) Desserts deserve a special mention as the menu is quite unique. A cardamom and pistachio custard is singled out with flavour. Wash this down with a Liefmans fruit beer, one of the most refreshing pudding beers. Best of all is the soft, warm almond halwa with poached cherries.

10) If you want a quality “West End” experience without the crowded Tube, PURE Indian cooking offers a wholesome Indian experience with charming, knowledgeable service, perched on the Fulham riverside. ...read more