Kahani London

Indian·
££££
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Silver Award
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SquareMeal Review of Kahani London

Silver Award

You’ll find Kahani’s modest entrance in the backstreets of Sloane Square, nestled among smart red brick townhouses. From there, the journey continues - down a flight of stairs and into a high-ceilinged basement dining room, replete with velvet chairs and macrame chandeliers. Your mileage may vary on basement dining rooms but Kahani’s is lovely, though some may bemoan the lack of natural light.

Peter Joseph is no stranger to upmarket Indian dining - he was head chef of Tamarind in Mayfair before this, and he brings that wealth of experience to a sizeable menu at Kahani. That menu is divided into small plates, grilled items and curries. The former are intriguing - Joseph’s idea combines Indian flavours, British ingredients and a tapas eating style - but aside from a delicious papdi chaat of spiced chickpeas, sweet yoghurt, berries and tamarind chutney, we’d recommend jumping straight to the grilled dishes.

This is where the real fun begins - tandoor lamb chops rich with Kashmiri chilli and warm clove, and fist-sized Malabar prawns with angry, blackened edges. Curries are delicious too - we tried a slow-braised Kashmiri lamb shank and Keralan chicken curry with a hit of fennel and poppy seed. Both were superb. Rice - so often the sign of a conscientious kitchen - is perfectly steamed and fluffy, and breads arrive still-warm from the tandoor.

Kahani’s wine collection is substantial and the restaurant has added a few innovative house cocktails to the list, including the refreshing Winter Royale (sloe gin, rosemary syrup, lemon, pomegranate, Champagne).

In general, Kahani perhaps isn’t breaking any boundaries and you’re unlikely to find much that you don’t know, but it’s reassuring, comforting, familiar. London has always had a soft spot for upmarket Indian fine dining and Kahani delivers that with a more easy going air. Are there good, more affordable Indian restaurants? Sure, but if you’re looking for something high quality in this area, Kahani certainly fits the bill.

Good to know

Spend SquareMeal Smart Vouchers
Average Price
££££ - £50 - £79
Cuisines
Indian
Eat at Home
Deliveroo
Ambience
Cool, Cosy, Dark and moody, Fine dining, Glamorous, Lively, Luxury, Quiet conversation, Romantic
Food Occasions
All day dining, Bottomless brunch, Brunch, Dinner, Late night dining, Sunday roast
Special Features
Chef’s table, Vegan options, Vegetarian options, Wheelchair access
Perfect for
Birthdays, Celeb spotting, Celebrations, Dates, Group dining [8+], Romantic, Special occasions
Food Hygiene Rating

About

Kahani, which translates to ‘story’ in Hindi, is where Michelin-starred chef Peter Joseph is adding the latest chapter to the tale of Britain’s love affair with Indian cuisine. Located in the heart of Chelsea, opposite Cadogan Hall, Kahani blends low-lit interiors with a classy, but unpretentious dining experience. The setting is modern but luxurious, with white walls and crockery standing out against the royal blue of the booth seating.

When it comes to the menu, the very best seasonal British ingredients are brought to life with fragrant spices and crafted using traditional Indian cooking methods. Peter Joseph is keen to make Indian fine dining more communal and less formal, while remaining true to his Chennai heritage, so guests can expect plenty of sharing dishes.

There are a whole host of menus to choose from, so depending on what time of day you visit, your dietary preferences/restrictions and what you’re in the mood for, you could be tucking into anything from bottomless brunch to vegan biryani. Kahani offers an entire vegan menu, so rather than one or two suitable dishes, anyone who has chosen to meat- and dairy-free can select from a three-course menu with plenty of options for each course.

Kahani also offers a pre-theatre menu for those planning to catch a show nearby, and a tasting menu for diners looking to enjoy a leisurely meal with plenty of courses. Weekend bottomless brunch comprises a three-course meal with free-flowing prosecco, while the restaurant’s weekend roast menu includes a twist on the traditional with mains such as slow-cooked Somerset lamb shank with browned onions and Kashmiri spices, and tandoori roasted free-range chicken with Kashmiri chillies.

Those with a sweet tooth won’t be disappointed either, as Kahani’s pudding menu involves all sorts of inventive desserts, from  a chilli chocolate mousse bomb with gulab jamun bits to tandoori pineapple with coconut flavoured steamed yoghurt.

Reward offers for Kahani London

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500 Points for new diners

For new diners to this restaurant, spending over £100.

Offer expires 31 Dec 24.

500 Points for evening diners

For all diners to this restaurant, spending over £100 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, for evening diners.

Offer expires 31 Dec 24.

500 Points for lunchtime diners

For all diners to this restaurant, spending over £55 on Fridays, lunchtimes only.

Offer expires 31 Dec 24.

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Meet the team
Kahani London

Peter Joseph

Executive Chef

Originally hailing from Chennai in south India, executive chef Peter Joseph's cooking takes inspiration from the food of his homeland, as well as time spent in British kitchens. Here at Kahani, Peter seeks to showcase traditional Indian cooking methods with a modern twist, using his signature spices and flavour pairings.


This venue also offers

Kahani London
Private Group Dining

Kahani London

Kahani London
Christmas Parties

Kahani London

Location

1 Wilbraham Place, Belgravia, London, SW1X 9AE

020 7730 7634 020 7730 7634

Website

Opening Times

Lunch
Mon Closed
Tue Closed
Wed Closed
Thu Closed
Fri 12:00-14:30
Sat 12:00-14:30
Sun Closed
Dinner
Mon 17:00-22:15
Tue 17:00-22:15
Wed 17:00-22:15
Thu 17:00-22:15
Fri 17:00-22:15
Sat 17:00-22:15
Sun Closed
All day
Mon Closed
Tue Closed
Wed Closed
Thu Closed
Fri Closed
Sat Closed
Sun 12:30-20:45

Reviews

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7 Reviews 
Food/Drink
Service
Atmosphere
Value

Neil S

31 January 2024   - Verified Diner
Food & Drink 5
Service 5
Atmosphere 5
Value 5
Excellent

The food was delicious and the service was excellent.

Anon

23 January 2024   - Verified Diner
Food & Drink 3.5
Service 4.5
Atmosphere 4
Value 3

Overall, Kahani is a good Indian restaurant. We tried their Dawat menu which was nice with few cavaeats.

1. The starters were very good but the quantity left a lot to be desired. 

2. The main course wasn't very good to be honest if you compare it to the starters, but the qauntity of the curry was all right. We particularly did not like that they served only 4 small pieces of naan bread for 2 people which was shockingly way too less for 2 average people. We were charged extra for the naans in the end because we asked for some more naans.

3. The dessert was amazing. We loved it.

4. The service was also very good. So full marks for the service. 

Pratik M

06 November 2023   - Verified Diner
Food & Drink 4.5
Service 3
Atmosphere 5
Value 5

jessica H

02 December 2022  
Food & Drink 5
Service 5
Atmosphere 5
Value 5

Such heavenly food and the atmosphere is tip top

Alex G

15 July 2019  
Food & Drink 4
Service 2.5
Atmosphere 3
Value 3.5
Incomplete story

Britain’s love affair with curry is well-documented and remains unabated. Restaurateurs therefore assume that it is a fairly safe bet opening yet more high-end Indian venues in swanky parts of London. Onto the scene late last year came Kahani – Hindi for story – backed by a top chef, formerly of Tamarind fame. The decision to name your restaurant ‘story’ is an interesting one. As your author can attest, writing anything to a level of utmost satisfaction is a challenge. Sure, stories are often by their vary nature, mutable; you can make them up on the spot, they can change over time, be retold and so on. To continue along these lines, while Kahani showed much promise in many areas, both my comrade and I felt that the overall experience provided by the venue very much remained work in progress. Consider our first impressions. We were greeted at the door, gave our names and welcomed effusively. Kahani is in a basement and so we had to descend a flight of stairs, passing rather curiously, the bathrooms – surely this must be a design flaw – before reaching the restaurant proper. It was somewhat surprising then that we had to provide our names for a second time before being shown to our table. I did not mind, but some sort of synchronised calendar really ought to be a challenge for a restaurant with the ambitions and budget of Kahani. We were shown to a beautiful corner table from which we could marvel at the charm of the room, best described as refined opulence with an open kitchen at one end. However, the somewhat discordant service continued to jar. Our menus were almost plonked on the table and while we had to grapple with four different pieces of paper (a la carte, set, wines and other drinks), no information about a vegetarian tasting menu was provided, despite us having learned about the existence of such an option via Kahani’s website. Our wish was at least granted and we eventually progressed onto two tasting menus, omnivorous for me and vegetarian for my comrade. We both began with what some other critics have described as one of the venue’s signature dish, a masala grilled aubergine served with olives, caramelised onions and iceberg lettuce. It was tasty, but there was certainly no wow. The combination of ingredients could hardly be described as boundary-pushing; the cynic might suggest that the plate could almost be prepared at home, while my comrade was spot-on in describing the addition of iceberg lettuce as “just a bit naff” – certainly not what you would expect from a restaurant that has its sights surely set on a Michelin star. Moreover, that this dish was the most photogenic across our six-course tasting menu says a lot. Maybe Kahani would argue that the cooking should do the talking, but do not come to this venue if you want a lot of nice Instagram snaps. Elsewhere, my colleague also aptly described the smoked aubergine that accompanied my admittedly delicious piece of sea bream as resembling a pile of faecal matter. What Kahani lost on presentation, it did at least gain in terms of taste (both the guinea fowl tikka and a lamb chop served with Kashmiri chillies both superb), while the wine pairings across the menu were thoughtful and often inspired. This observation provides a segue back to the vexed topic of service. While our sommelier was notably charismatic and passionate about his job, indifference and gaucheness would be adjectives I could easily apply to other staff members. It is a pity. There is much that is good about Kahani (and pricing is not at all unreasonable) but being located on a back street just to the north of Sloane Square – and so not benefiting from much passing trade – the venue will need to tighten its story if it is to survive.    

Anthea C

03 July 2019  
Fabulous Indian cuisine. Charming staff.

Anon

01 July 2019  
In spite of the misses, Kahani's offering has an air of honesty and sincerity about it. The South Indian flavours feel exotic and fascinating. Overall, the food was cooked well, service polite and obliging and ambience pleasant if somewhat lacking in buzz.
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