If you love eating out at a restaurant that has real story behind it, try Patri Hammersmith. Founder Puneet Wadhwani has built the restaurant around memories of growing up near New Delhi railway station and eating both on platforms and aboard India’s long-distance trains, giving the menu a distinct and wonderfully nostalgic concept rather than a generic curry-house feel.
That railway influence runs through the interiors, too. The dining room takes cues from ticket halls, waiting rooms and restaurant carriages, with platform-style benches and tables dressed to suggest the experience of eating onboard which makes for a fun, experience-led feel.
The menu begins with street-food dishes designed for sharing. Old Delhi pani puri is made up of crisp wheat shells filled with potato and chickpeas, sharpened with mint water, tamarind and mango, while the boldly named Boyfriend Chaat combines crisp discs, spiced potato, vermicelli and layered chutneys. For something warmer, Punjabi samosa chaat brings together a generously filled samosa, chickpea curry, kachumber and pomegranate. From the grill, murgh malai tikka is marinated with yoghurt, cream, cheese, cardamom, mace and nutmeg before cooking in the tandoor, while seekh kebabs use triple-minced lamb seasoned with the chef’s own spice blend. Paneer tikka offers a substantial vegetarian alternative, marinated with yoghurt, mustard oil and chilli pickle before being grilled.
The curries are where Patri’s railway narrative really comes into play, though. Puneet’s Dhaba Chicken Curry draw inspiration from roadside restaurants along India’s highways, while Chicken Tikka Makhani uses a slow-cooked tomato sauce and double-marinated chicken. Rara Meat Rogan Josh, described as a family celebration dish, brings together slow-cooked lamb or mutton with warming spices.
Vegetarian and vegan dishes are equally considered, from panch pooran daal and smoky baingan masala to kale pakora moilee and a coconut-based kadala curry. Sharing groups can also opt for a railway mixed grill or a chef’s thali, which gathers together kebabs, curries, rice, naan and dessert which makes things easy.