Restaurants

A branch of the fine-dining restaurant Tamarind , this Soho café makes much of its affordable selection of snacks and curries. It’s a spacious venue, smartly furnished with Indian artefacts, splashes of orange-themed colour and chunky wooden furniture. Young office groups and tourists are attracted. The tapas-style menu aims for a sophisticated yet relaxed dining experience. But on our most recent visit, our lunch was one of hits and misses. A pleasing starter of crisp-fried wholewheat pastry discs, doused in yoghurt and streaked with sweet tamarind chutney, worked well with a nutty-tasting crunchy beansprout topping. In contrast, we struck unlucky with an apology for bhel poori; less-than-crisp puffed rice, soggy gram-flour sev, and scant drizzles of tamarind chutney did it no favours. An otherwise decent rendition of Punjabi-style fried lamb mince, flecked with peas, was let down by fibrous meat – a shame, as its masala of golden-fried onions, ginger and garlic was a winner. Homely chicken curry benefited from tender chicken morsels and a comforting herby masala. We’ve had much better meals here in the past; Imli needs to raise its standards if it’s to regain lost ground.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008