After a recent family wedding we were treated to lunch at the Cinnamon Club restaurant in Westminster.
When on Great Smith Street keep a look out for the restaurant logo as it was pretty hard to spot but the restaurant used to be the former Westminster Library. But once inside you will be in the waiting area where a staff member will greet you and check for any reservations. Whist we were waiting for our table we headed downstairs to the ladies. On the way there is some lovely deco with wooden blinds and a water feature, and of course the toilets which I must say were impressive, very clean, a sofa to lounge on, perfect for a quick girly gossip session.
Now back to the restaurant, once we all arrived we were taken to our table for 23 guests, we were given a big section at the back of the dining room. The deco is very simple brown leather chairs, fully dressed tables with all cutlery, some lovely art work on the walls, and there was also another level above the restaurant main hall with lots of books on display.
As we were a huge party we were given the set menu option, there is also an a la carte menu too. The set menu consisted of either a two (£22) or three (£24) course meal exclusive of a 12.5% service charge.
Before looking through the set menu we were given our drinks either an alcoholic or non-alcoholic cocktails, these were very colourful and went down a treat… very refreshing. Canapes were also given, these were potato balls served on a mustard dressing with yoghurt on top, great presentation of the dish but with an even better taste.
From the appetisers section there were 3 options these included: A Chicken Seekh Kebab served with onions, mint and a pineapple raita.
Another option was the Stir-fry Pork with Kokum Berries served with a layered Paratha.
And lastly the vegetarian option which was a Chickpea and Semolina Cake served with green mango and coconut chutney.
I opted for the chicken seekh kebab although the portion was small, the chicken was cooked very well was lovely and nice and soft so it melted in your mouth, the pineapple raita which I thought would be a strange combination actually complimented the chicken very well.
The main courses had 4 options to choose from, the vegetarian option was a South Indian style Vegetable and Tomato Stew served with rice and spinach. I selected this Spice Crusted Hake served with a coconut, lemon and ginger sauce and rice. Other options included Tandoori Lamb with a spinach and garlic sauce served with pilau rice. And lastly a Chargrilled Chicken breast in a tamarind sauce served also with pilau rice.
I was in two minds about what to expect with the Hake, but I wasn’t disappointed, the dish was presented neatly, the freshly cooked fish was cooked to perfection, but even there were a few bones in sight, the flavours of the coconut sauce were delicious which complimented the fish very well.
A coupe of the other diners did opt for the 3 courses, so in the desserts section the options were: Mango Shrikhand with roast figs or a Spiced Coconut Cake with pineapple and coconut sorbet. Although I didn’t try either I was told that the mango shrikhand was to die for and highly recommended.
Cinnamon Club is a great modern Indian restaurant although prices are on the steep side the set menu is a great option, service although slightly slow was good and the food was presented and tasted great, many different flavours giving each dish a unique taste.
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