Roti Chai

Went for a friend's birthday on a Friday night, the atmosphere was great early on, but there's a 12.5% service charge for every drink at the bar as well as at dinner - making a small bottle of Rose Lemonade £4. When we got to our table the service was awful, it took an hour to get a starter and 2.5 hours after we sat down we received our very small main course. Definitely not enough food and not enough choice for vegetarians. We complained about the service and the guy was really rude, trying to impress his manager rather than look after his customers. The bill was gigantic for a really disappointing night out that went on far too long, we couldn't leave until midnight! Food took that long. Much worse than a standard neighbourhood curry house and so overpriced. Would not recommend and will not be going back.

My wife & I visited Roti Chai a few days back for dinner. Frankly speaking, we were very dissatisfied with the service. I had made an advance booking through Opentable, requesting for a pastry / cake to commemorate my wedding anniversary. Just to make sure, I called up the restaurant beforehand and reminded them to include the cake in our dessert course. The receptionist assured me that it would be taken care of. When we arrived at the restaurant, we had to wait for 20 mins just for placing an order. Furthermore, the service staff conveniently forgot about the cake. Though the food was alright, the service really soured the experience for us. All in all, I would definitely not recommend this restaurant for any special occasions.

Excellent food - some dishes very authentic Indian streetfood, some more creative - but you learn something with every dish, and it's all made for sharing. YUM

Been there with work mates and with friends a few times now. I always get a few favorites (chicken lollipops, dhal, mango kulfi) and try a few new things on the menu. The place is always buzzy and now I am glad it's open on sundays for brunch. While the food tastes authentic and delivers on the Indian Street food theme,( I've not been to India but it seems everyone agrees on its authenticity), I also appreciate the service, especially when I bring guests with prams. They seem to take everything in stride, with kiddies and parents trying to dine. All in all, a great addition to the casual dining scene.

Been there few times and recommending to more and more people. No better place to get good indian food in/around oxford street. They have a street kitchen for a quick bite and a fuller restaurant downstairs for something more sumptuous. Would rate this as one of the best indian food in town. Refreshingly varied menu and distinct indian touch differentiates this from the "curry places" which many of us indians, feel a bit embarassed about owning up to these days! The decor, the cutlery, the ambience - all take you down a trip in memory lane of the good times one had in india and remembering what roti and chai meant and still mean for us. Chicken lollipops and the lamb bun were my picks from the street kitchen. Portion sizes - not huge..but somehow, i actually find it appetizing and better than bucketfulls which i cant finish anyway! Maybe a tad expensive, but put that marginal expense in perspective of total budget of eating out - and i'd think you will find it well worth it. If you havent been there, you are probably missing out..

Visited last night and was really disappointed. Food was below average and portion sizes very small. Baulked when i saw the bill, far too expensive!
Definitely wont be recommending this to anyone

We ate downstairs in the dining room. Food was flavourful and well cooked. Service was fantastic! Only complaint is that the dishes were a bit pricey for the portion size... wasn't exorbitant, but definitely worthy of more than 1 £ sign above, which I think refers only to the 'street' kitchen upstairs.

Overall I would recommend if you're in the area, though I'm sure more traditional/authentic Indian food can be had elsewhere.

Had an amazing time. Recommend Chicken Farcha and Chicken Keema

Very good. So so much better than than regular Indian restaurants in London ( which are really giving Indian food a bad name)

Fresh, clean, authentic, very tasty and simple. Just how Indian street food should be. Great addition to London's latest nouvelle Indian restaurants. I will be going back to try every single item on the menu. The chicken lolly pops and the chicken liver keema on po bun are just too good. £42 for 4 dishes two cocktails. Bargain!

Great food - very welcoming staff. Quite authentic - good to see southern indian food done well!

Been once with a friend and will definitely be back. Food is great, staff friendly and knowledgeable. If you are in and around Oxford/Bond street and you want value for money combined with exquisite tasting food then here is an enticing option. If you work around here then there really is no decision to make. Get down there you will not be disappointed.

loved it. have been back three times to work my way through the menu. mostly hits on the food front but a coupl e of dishes that didnt work for me....ironically, they were the ones that my wife loved most. we both like the friendliness of the staff and the decor on the ground floor. Basement restaurant looks fabulous and i'm looking forward to when it opens

I thought Roti Chai was fabulous. Loud and noisy in the evening, I suspect but quieter in the day. The food bursts with flavour. Very attentive and helpful staff. And great value for the West End.

Pleasant staff, but over rated for the £
A trip to Wembley would show you how it should be done

I'm suprised you would call this blatant absence of any thought behind the interiors "pared-back decor". I walked past Roti Chai the first time. And even when I turned around I was hesitant to walk in. A half-dressed table with bags of token Indian brand names, an empty reception desk and a wall sparsely decorated with more Indian stuff greeted me… am later told that they are trying to figure out how to sell Indian favourites like Frooti, Lays and Parle G. But until then these are for “display only”. Why a restaurant would want to display a constipation remedy (Isabgol) is anybody’s guess!

Nothing about the restaurant says Indian, Street or Kitchen. Its deathly quiet and if it wasn’t for two other tables of people I would have walked out and come back another day. It’s a squareish dining room with nondescript tables, the odd splash of colourful backrests and an ugly ceiling. The kitchen is hidden behind a black wall and three uncoordinated posters. Change the three Indian posters with pictures of sombreros and this could easily turn into an ordinary Tex-Mex canteen.

The chai (£2.20) I ordered is brewed one cup at a time and tastes very similar to the Twinings Chai in my larder. If you call yourself Roti Chai you better have very good chai – don’t you think?

The menu is small – I like small menus. I ordered:
Bhel Puri (£3.90) – light but slightly low on tang. This version has tomatoes… a giveaway that the chef is North Indian.
Papri Chaat (£4.50) – nice! And miles better than the version served at Mooli’s. I wish though that it didn’t look so sterile on the plate.
Chicken Lollipops (£4.80) – succulent and moreish. Just as the menu promises.
Bun Kebab (£7.50) – the lamb is the best thing I tasted that afternoon. Moist and bursting with flavour (served with an unfortunate side salad).
Green chillies & chopped onion – at £1 this is not expensive but if the vendor on the streets of Delhi has the heart to offer me onions on the house maybe Roti Chai could too?
Mango Frooti (£1.50) – classic! This brought back memories of pocket money spent in school canteens.

The food presentation is Western, bland and does no justice to the flavourful dishes. Everything I ordered tasted good and I’m sure as the kitchens spend more time cooking the menu the food is going to taste great. The service is excellent. Unfortunately Roti Chai’s under construction website has more character than the restaurant itself. Soft opening or not, you have only one chance to make a first impression…