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There aren’t many Mauritian restaurants in London, but we hope this might change after Shelina Permalloo won Masterchef 2012. Mauritian cuisine is a mash-up of French, Creole, Indian, Chinese and British traditions, and Chez Liline concentrates on seafood dishes (the same family owns the fish shop next door).
The restaurant needs a makeover – it looks a bit 1970s Greek taverna – but locals know this joint by reputation, and head here for the food. Once seated, diners forget their surroundings and embark on a journey of taste sensation. Meat and vegetarian dishes are available on request, yet the menu is so packed with mouth-watering fish options, only pescaphobes could ignore them.
We tried a simple but perfect warm squid and prawn salad, and also sampled scallops in a spicy mango sauce: these ingredients shouldn’t work together, but the dish was sublime. To follow, you’d think a tamarind and coconut sauce might drown the subtle white barramundi, but not a bit of it. The French-style puddings are worth ordering too, if the hearty portions haven’t defeated you.