Two Saturdays ago, Jon and I were craving Indian food and saw that normally-pricey Moti Mahal was offering a £20 dinner menu, so we decided to try it out.
When we arrived, we were happy to find a sleek, warm-colored dining room buzzing with conversation. The upstairs room was not for us, though. Instead, we were led downstairs, which was also an attractive space, but seemingly full of families with kids. I’m not anti-kids at restaurants, but as a sans-kid adult, I wished we could’ve stayed upstairs. (When we asked to switch tables, our server super-politely told us the upstairs tables were already fully booked, and I didn’t have it in me to be bitchy about it – surprise, I know).
So because we’d had to let the restaurant know in advance that we were interested in the £20 menu, our server immediately handed us only that “special” menu. And really, it was comprised entirely of dishes from your local Indian takeaway (i.e., tikka masala, lamb vindaloo). Where were all those creative, modern takes on Indian food that we’d read Moti Mahal specializes in?
So we asked to see the a la carte menu, which seemed to take our server a while to find, and when it arrived, we saw there was no overlap at all between the a la carte and the £20 menu . I’d expected Moti Mahal to showcase some of its tastiest, most creative dishes on the £20 menu in an effort to get diners to return and try the more comprehensive a la carte menu, but instead, it seems Moti Mahal is operating two restaurants in the same physical space.
So, a la carte it was. Jon’s rabbit kofte (khargosh ki seekh) was spicy, moist and flavorful. We liked it, but at the end of the day, it’s minced meat on a stick, so £9 seemed a bit steep.
I was much more impressed with my bhalla papdi chaat, which included crisp pastry bits, yoghurt, chili, tamarind, pomegranate seeds and assorted fritters. Although I’m pretty sure this is a cheap street dish in India, I enjoyed the variety of textures and flavors – chili heat and cooling yogurt is one of my fave food combos.
Jon’s allepy konch (two enormous grilled prawns in a creamy veg stew) was delicately perfumed with coconut milk. The two large prawns were perfectly cooked (i.e., sweet and on just the right side of firmness). The stew wasn’t visually appealing, but it was tasty. Overall, though, an additional prawn and a smaller portion of the thick stew would’ve been ideal. The dish was, after all, £19.
Our server recommended the sorpotel, which is a boar and okra stew, and while I loved the poached egg with masala seasoning (spiciness + creaminess = tastiness), half the wild boar pieces were tender and sweet, and the other half were a bit dry and stringy. And then there was some additional puffy/spongy thing that didn’t add flavor or texture. Disappointing for £18.
Overall, Moti Mahal as a mixed bag. The decor, vibe and service were pluses, and the food had its promising moments, so maybe for £20 a person and an expectation for curry takeaway classics, I’d return. But with wine and a couple of extras like rice and dal makhani (which was deliciously rich and creamy), our tab for two was £100, making our dinner a pretty mediocre value.
Moti Mahal, 45 Great Queen Street, WC2B 5AA; 0207 240 9329; closest tube station: Covent Garden
How bizarre that they are offering those two menus. I would have thought they might want to use the cheaper menu to give people a taster and encourage them to try the more expensive a la carte in the future. It sounds like the a la carte was overpriced anyway so I shall avoid.
Cripes, that is very expensive. The boar stew portion didn’t look very big either. How disappointing!
£19 for two prawns? I know they’re big but yikes!
Hi, first time we came across your blog. Looks really pretty with lots of nice food and restaurants. Would be really useful as a guide when we visit London.
The interior of the restaurant looks nice.
Helen – I agree re: being surprised there wasn’t more overlap between the “deal” menu and the a la carte.
Lizzie – Yes, it really was too bad the food didn’t wow us more. But on the plus side, the service and decor were good.
Su-Lin – Gotta love the London dining scene. : )
Sugar Bean – It’s true that Moti Mahal is pretty.
i’m going here next week. I actually meant to try it this week but got side tracked. Thanks for the heads up
Hi, I’ve seen you’re review above and also on the http://www.myvillage.com. You appear to have left a review for the complete wrong restaurant on myvillage!
You’ve reveiwed for Moti Mahal in South Kensington instead of the one in Covent Garden. I’ve been to the one in South Kensington loads of times and it doesn’t have a downstairs lol. Plus it’s a favourite of mine so please correct your review! Ta
Simeon, I atually didn’t realize this review was on myvillage.com (i.e., I didn’t put it there myself), so I’m not sure how to ‘correct’ the issue. Thanks for letting me know it’s on that site, though.
Went the other day. Good food, nice atmosphere and service, very expensive though. 25% off the bill I’d consider going again, but it was too pricey to really recommend it.
You’re a bit of a cheapskate! This may be street food but you’re not eating it on the street but in a restaurant where the taxes on the property are really high.