Vivek Singh’s ‘Bazaar’ concept is the most casual family member from his acclaimed Cinnamon Collection, swapping Indian fine dining for modern street food and a buzzy, laid-back atmosphere. Apparently, it's exactly the sort of restaurant that Richmond’s residents were waiting for. The place is heaving on our visit, and we can see the appeal, for it offers a please-all combination of friendly service, chilled vibes and dynamic, properly delicious food that doesn’t take the biscuit on cost.
Unlike a standard curry house, Cinnamon Bazaar has been imagined with a distinctly modern touch. The decor is bright, loud and colourful, with playful quirks sprinkled throughout. The ceiling, for example, has been plastered with newspaper clippings to create a distinctive paper mâché effect, while a vibrant colour palette of pinks, greens and peach tones brings to life the eclectic vibe of a traditional Indian market.
We suggest starting with a selection of chaats and working your way up to the larger, super-charged ‘bazaar’ plates. We gleefully pop dahi puri (crisp semolina shells) into our mouth, each one exploding with tangy tamarind chutney, spiced potato and cooling yoghurt. The mains are excellent too – think meltingly soft, slow-cooked ox cheek with a punchy vindaloo sauce - but the sides are the glue that hold the meal together. A doughy slab of peshwari naan is filled with the addictively sweet crumble of nuts and sugar – a masterful tool for scooping up generous mouthfuls of its creamy house black dal. To finish, a gorgeous twist on sticky toffee pudding combines moist carrot and ginger sponge, banana ice cream and toffee sauce. What’s not to like?
Staff remain attentive despite being rushed off their feet, and we finish our meal feeling well-looked after and well fed. This is the second Cinnamon Bazaar site to open in London (the first is in Covent Garden) and it’s already off to a flying start.