Jali

A seafront hotel is, perhaps, not the most likely location for a top-notch, modern Indian restaurant. But if you ignore the soulless hotel setting, you will find much in the restrained interior & excellent cooking to rave about. The menu focuses mainly on north Indian fare, & with chefs brought over from some of India’s finest hotels, the cooking is near faultless. Begin with rajmah ki tikki (beautiful red kidney bean patties served with a lively, green herb chutney) or the melt-in-the-mouth shami kebabs (lamb cakes cooked with lentils). Mains are equally well executed with a run-of-the-mill sounding saag murg offering unusually creamy & flavoursome spinach with a hint of subtle spicing, & the korma gosht wonderfully scented with cardamom. The dum chicken biryani, served in a sealed pot, is also worth a taste. Service is a tad stuffy, but with food this good, it’s a small quibble.