When it comes to booking restaurants as a whole family we can be hard to please. But one thing that we all agree on is a love of Indian food… Jamavar London came highly recommended by my friend Binny and with a Michelin star to it’s name and chefs hailing from Gymkhana, Benares and Trishna it sounded like a dead cert.
The dining room is stylish with wooden panelling and Indian artwork reflecting the fact that Jamavar is a direct import from it’s home country. It was the ideal option for my mum’s birthday lunch especially given the convenient location on Mayfair’s Mount Street.
Owner Dinesh Nair wanted to bring north Indian cuisine to the south and create a menu that combined the best of both cuisines. In 2001, the original Jamavar opened at The Leela Palace Bengaluru to great acclaim and soon opened throughout the country in Leela properties in New Delhi, Chennai, Goa and Mumbai and now Jamavar London, his first restaurant outside of India. After quick look at the menu which mains the signature style of the original Jamavar, with fine dining from the North and seafood from the South, we basically made the decision to order nearly everything…
The menu has been created by Executive Chef Rohit Ghai and is inspired by his travels around the Sub-continent. I highly recommend starting off with a selection of tasting plates to give you the opportunity to try a little of everything – as trust me you’re going to want to. Chandni Chowk Ki Aloo Tikki (potato tikki, honey yoghurt, white radish, tamarind and mint chutney) was my surprise favourite of the starters with so many layers of flavour. 
Dal Chawal Aur Achaar (crispy lentil and rice dumplings, green chutney, heritage carrot pickle) were also a triumph on the table and a great vegetarian option. There’s quite a lot of shell fish on offer for the starter plates which my mum doesn’t eat so it was great to have such fantastic vegetarian choices. 
Another of which was the Kasundi Paneer Tikka (mint and raw papaya chutney) which we ordered from the Tandoor menu – a beautifully prepared dish with the perfect char. 
For those requiring a more meaty option Andhra Beef Uthappam (slow-cooked in mustard and southern spices) is the perfect choice. 
Whilst us shell fish lovers around the table absolutely savoured the sautéed king prawns with white turmeric, onions and curry leaves as well as the black pepper lobster and aubergine sambhar which is what immediately stuck out to me on the menu. 
I don’t recall having kid goat before and if I have it wasn’t for a long time but I certainly will again. The dish fell apart beautifully and was served with black cardamom, mint chutney, chur chur paratha.
A bigger lover of lamb shank, we ordered the 8 hour slow cooked Hampshire lamb shank and Rajasthani chilli mostly for my dad but it was a dish very much enjoyed by everyone. 
Adraki Lamb Chops with royal cumin, crushed onion, fennel and ginger were an absolute star of the table, and the dish that my mum loved the most. 
For me the favourite Malai Stone Bass Tikka with mace, green cardamom and avocado chutney. It always amazes me how in Indian cuisine a piece of fish can be infused with so much flavour but still maintain it’s delicate characteristics and perfect levels of cooking. 
The same can be said for the Bengali fish, chilli, aubergine and potato which was another of the curry dishes that we ordered. it’s super spicy which is ideal for me! Not pictured was the chicken tikka that we ordered and the multiple side dishes (stir fried okra, Gobhi Aloo and charsmoked lentils) all excellent but difficult to photograph in this family style situation.
When my parents took me to Indian restaurants as a child, my favourite dish was always the naan bread and it’s still the thing I look forward to most. The bread selection at Jamavar London in excellent and perfect for dipping in your curry. We also ordered Venison Kulcha which was a huge hit around the table too.
As you can imagine we were *quite* full after all of that and so we decided to have two desserts between all of us. A light trio of Kulfi with rose petal, rabri white chocolate, pink peppercorn was a great refreshing option with Chilli Chikki Lava Chocolate Fondant and cinnamon kulfi, caramelized pecans being the more decadent choice. Two perfect desserts for a birthday celebration.
I’ve been to several of the high-end Michelin-starred Indian restaurants in London but I have to say Jamavar London is my favourite so far. I absolutely loved the diverse choice and flavours and with all those many dishes we ordered there wasn’t a thing that we didn’t like.
Jamavar London
8 Mount Street
Mayfair
W1K 3NF
020 7499 1800
