A Taste of Indian on India Street
For our second meet in succession (No stopping us now Covid) The OCC ventured to the City, and more specifically the Rajasthan 2, aptly located on India Street. The Rajasthan Restaurants seek to redefine the common Indian dining experience, and elevate the cuisine to a status not usually enjoyed and achieved by other curry houses. Diners at The Rajasthan enjoy culinary taste of Mogul India, not something other curry houses can match.
The OCC’s scores out of 10:
Quality: 8.5
Atmosphere: 5.8
Value: 6.8
Service: 8.4
Customer care: 8.3
Overall Score 7.56
Arriving promptly at 19:30 OST after a couple of pre meet drinks on a London terrace, we were warmly welcomed to our table by 2 attentive staff members. The restaurant is smartly presented, fitting in with the surroundings of the city. We were given a table in the middle and became the focal point of the restaurant. I am sure pre covid times the Rajasthan would have been booming with clients, but in the situation the country currently finds itself the restaurant had a plethora of empty tables. This of course led to a below bar score.
Atmosphere: 5.8
Customer Care and Service could not be faulted. We were greeted at the door with a warm welcome and promptly shown to our seats. Poppadums and alllll the sauces swiftly followed, whilst the waiters were also very quick to take our drink order. The staff were constantly attentive and often offered to top up the poppadums./ sauces and kept the drinks flowing! .. Whilst of course the restaurant wasn’t full (making it a bit easier to serve), the members of the OCC really felt that the guys did a great job (Possibly swayed by the staff chants of “Its coming home)
Service: 8.4 & Customer Care: 8.3
As mentioned earlier, Poppadums were place on the table promptly, accompanied by an array of sauces, which were very well received. So well in fact, that in an unprecedented move, more were ordered.
A common theme amongst the OCC, the majority of the group ordered the mixed grill to start, and this went don’t very well. The plates were neatly presented, with the usual, lamb, chicken, onion bhaji and samosa included. I personally ordered the tandoori chicken which arrived sizzling on a hot plate, as 2 quarters of chicken. I’m not sure if this is the usual amount, or If this was more expensive than the mixed grill, but I would state this was the best tandoori chicken I have tasted at any restaurant.
Once the starters were cleared away, the mains quickly followed. Leaving a small but pleasant gap for the OCC to conduct our usual business. Main dishes often vary massively, due to the differing taste and spice needs of our members. Notable dishes ordered were the Chicken Tika Masala, Lamb Xacuti, Vindaloo and a Dhansak. A Chicken Xacuti was also ordered for the table, so each member could have a try of one of their chef specials. Along with the mains, the usual sides, and naans were ordered. As it is abundantly clear from the quality score of 8.5, the food was very well received. The portions were of a good size, but most notably the flavours were great. Amongst some of the best in recent OCC memory.
Quality: 8.5
Overall, our bill came to £52 pp. With only 7 members at the meet, it was noticeable that the alcohol consumption was lower than typical (though this could also be down to how tasty the food was) so a bill of over £50 was deemed quite expensive. However due to its location and food, overall it is a worthy price to pay. Notable prices, a Naan at £4 and a main around £15-16 gives you the gist of what to expect.
Value: 6.8
In summary, the Rajasthan exceed expectations. With only a 4.0 star review on google, one may expect this restaurant to just fit in as another city curry house, however the OCC would certainly recommend visiting if you are in the area.
Overall 7.56 *A World Wide Sticker to be issued*