Scarlet Dot

In a conscious attempt to escape the ‘ethnic’ straitjacket, this smooth Spitalfields Indian wows its punters with cocktails, bento box lunches & sharing platters. Order a jug of caipirinha while grazing through a surf & turf combo of salmon tikka, chicken malai tikka, lamb cutlets & meat samosas, or tackle something more substantial from the main menu: Scarlet lamacun – an Indian-style meat or vegetable pizza – perhaps followed by the masala macchili sea bass in a rich onion sauce, sautéed with mustard seeds. Some find it all rather overpriced, while the overtly fusion elements in the menu can feel a bit forced; it’s debatable, for instance, whether the world really needs an Indian reworking of the ubiquitous Caesar salad. In keeping with the forward-thinking approach, the decor matches darkly stylish modern surrounds with a spacious ‘outside’ terrace nestling beneath the market extension’s roof.