Chutney Mary

One of the first restaurants to celebrate pairing wine with Indian cuisine, Chutney Mary enjoys wide acclaim for its innovative style. This classy venue is run by the Panjabi sisters, who also oversee Amaya , Veeraswamy , and the Masala Zone group . Smartly attired Americans, well-off Chelsea diners, and youngish couples come here to eat. A ground-floor reception leads to a darkly seductive candlelit basement, spread over two levels. There’s also an airy conservatory, framed by leafy green plants. Our meal began with the signature soup, nihari shorba: a sublime cardamom-scented meaty broth, sealed under a crisp lid of golden puff pastry. We also sampled duck galouti (a posh patty made from pounded meat spiced with cardamom and garam masala); although not as velvety in texture as we’d hoped for, it had succulence and was enlivened by perky blueberry chutney. Following this, our chicken curry was outstanding: tender morsels and gingery broth sharpened by zesty orange juice. Desserts were pale in comparison; we couldn’t detect any garam masala in our spicy crème brûlée, and serving it with an overdose of custard did it no favours. Efficient service compensates for the occasional glitch.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008

Services:

Booking: Booking advisable dinner
Child facilities: Babies and children welcome: high chairs
Dress code: smart casual
Entertainment: jazz 12.30pm Sun
Function room: Separate room for parties, seats 34

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