You may walk past this Chelsea townhouse without realising that it's a restaurant, but that's part of its charm. Kutir is all about Indian food that's full of heart, with dishes that are inspired by India's heritage and wildlife, making it the perfect choice for those who want to learn more about Indian culinary traditions and indulge in the true flavours of the South Asian country.
The menu leaves a little up to imagination, with details of main ingredients only, rather than big explainers. The menu's starters include crispy potato cake with aloo tikki, honey yoghurt, tamarind and mint chutney, and delicious jackfruit with galavat, cashew, rose petals and crisp. The soft shell crab with shallots, pepper fry and string hopper sounds absolutely exquisite, as does the lobster with brioche.
For that lip smacking smoky flavour, order the tandoori broccoli with morel, wild mushrooms, berries, papad and truffle, or the juicy duck kebabs with cranberry, mixed sprouts and chutney. Swinging into the mains, we're really intrigued by the sound of the kamal kakdi salan, with lotus root, sesame, peanut, mustard and seeds. More popular Indian dishes have crept into the menu, with the chicken tikka masala, cottage cheese paneer parcels and guinea fowl biryani.
Make sure you make a real feast of your meal and order some delicious sides for the table. There's a double tadka dal with yellow lentils, cumin seeds and asafoetida, along with saag makkai, steamed rice, a bread basket and baingan bharta with onions, peas, garlic and cumin. The dessert menu includes chocolate, fruity and creamy flavours, but the stand out for us is the mango and passion fruit granita with coconut and ginger beer.