Mayfair’s Chor Bizarre

When naming a restaurant, it’s always important to get the name right, to give the customers an idea of what to expect when they step inside your eatery.

When picking out a place to eat, a customer will always be influenced by the name of a restaurant and the connotations that come with the choice of name.

The Ivy has got it right by conjuring notions of sophistication and high-class fare. The Tommyfield – the fish and chip restaurant in Kennington – summons the idea of being down to earth. However, if you’re Chor Bizarre, the well-regarded restaurant in Mayfair, you can throw those rules away and name your place after a thieves market.

It is puzzling given how plush the insides are and how highly recommended this restaurant has been amongst those who know their Indian restaurants. For 13 years, Chor Bizarre has been resident in the middle of Mayfair. Its appeal lies in the fact that it draws its cuisine from every part of India, whether it be Keralan fish or Rajasthan lamb.

I started with a couple of puris with yoghurt and tamarind chutney. Even though they were unwieldy to try and grasp, the crispness of the puri along with the refreshing filling made it a well-settled start.

The restaurant tries to incorporate traditional cooking methods and the result of using a tandoor oven resulted in some delightful lamb kebabs. Along with this, there was a lip-smackingly good king prawn curry which went well with a couple of the restaurant’s flavoured naans.

However, the pick of the dishes was a Goan fish curry. I normally find fish curries to be a little pallid but this was extremely different. It was creamy as well as having a great deal of depth to the dish. I could tell that I was in for a spectacular dish when the curry was brought over. People on tables that were in the waiter’s path strained to try and get a sniff of what was coming my way.

I finished off the meal with a mango kulfi, which was very pleasing. The one disappointment about the restaurant is that there is a rather limited range of soft drinks and beers. But beyond this quarrel, Chor Bizarre remains one of the places to go to if you are looking to get the most out of Indian food.

Chor Bizarre
16 Albemarle Street
Mayfair
W1S 4HW

Tel: 020 7629 9802