Review: Cinnamon Club, Westminster

The Cinnamon Club certainly feels like the kind of dining room where you may spot a couple of famous faces. Partly it’s the location, in a grand building along one of the film-set roads in Westminster, not far from the heart of government. Partly it’s the restaurant, with its grand dining room and polite, excellent yet unobtrusive service. It’s all very comfortable and the food is splendid. They’ve had plenty of practise: they’ve been here more than 20 years.

We go a la carte. My starter of Anjou squab is a beautiful chewy pink breast, smoked in cloves. There’s a crispy roll of shredded leg meat, equally good and packed full of earthy spices. Two or three bright chutneys and sauces add to the flavours. Maureen’s okra stuffed with peanut and jaggery is a lighter dish, on a puddle of curry yogurt. It’s delicious and a new take on okra for me, though not quite as knock-out as the pigeon.

My main of pork belly is another smash. It’s cooked “Koorgi style” and I’ve no idea what that means but perhaps slow-cooked and then pan-fried? The meat is dark and caramelised, deep with more spices than I can identify. There’s a lovely tower of masala mash potatoes with curry leaf flavours and a green mango and chilli sambal to give some brightness. Maureen’s clove-smoked lamb is an excellent piece with a punchy marinade. The sweetcorn yogurt sauce is an interesting accompaniment, good but not brilliant.

We find room for pudding. A black cardamom brulee is just as delicious as I’d hoped, with a silken smooth creme and a good hum of smoky cardamom running through every mouthful. Coconut phirni is a light jelly tower of rich coconut with good flavours of pineapple and lime in the sambal and sorbet that come with it. Very top puds.

This is fine Indian dining, think around £55 per person before drinks for the a la carte (there is a £90 tasting menu). The wine list has a great range and we found two good bottles. For a special treat in lovely surroundings, Cinnamon Club is great, the food a true fine-dining take on unabashed Indian spices.