Restaurants

Glamorous, stylish and seductive, Amaya is sleekly appointed with sparkly chandeliers, splashes of modern art and a groovy bar. This restaurant’s calling card is its sophisticated Indian creations from a menu that cleverly links dressed-up street food with regal specialities. If you fancy a table with a view, bag one by the open kitchen and watch the chefs wield laden skewers and slap rotis against the walls of the tandoor. Of our selections, we loved a meltingly tender chicken tikka for its smoky, lemony flavour and subtle marinade of rose-scented gingery yoghurt. Good news continued with a gigantic Madagascan prawn steeped in chilli-spiked lime juice and cooked to perfect pinkness; the robust juices were gratefully mopped up with hot nans. An earthy rich staple of creamy spinach paste spiced with ginger and green chillies was elevated to fine-dining status and sensibly served without any experimental flourish. Service was faultless. Only mango tiramisu (piped on to a sponge finger) was less than outstanding – a little too close to home cooking to win accolades. Amaya is a magnet for deep-pocketed Knightsbridge suits as well as romancing couples.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009