This is one of a handful of London’s Indian restaurants with a ‘head office’ in India. Our Chor Bizarre is a straight copy of the one in the Broadway Hotels in Delhi.
Its name is an elaborate pun (Chor Bazaar translates as ‘thieves’ market’) and, like the Delhi branch, the London bars and restaurant is furnished with Indian antiques and bric-a-brac.
Every table, and each set of chairs, is different, and you may find yourself dining within the frame of an antique four-poster bed. The food is very well prepared and encouragingly authentic. Care is taken over the detail; Chor Bizarre does, however, carry the kind of price tag you’d expect in Mayfair.
Start with simple things such as pakoras, which are tasty vegetable fritters, or coconut mussels, which come in a coconut fish broth. Kebabs are taken seriously here, too: try gazab ka tikka, a bestseller in Delhi, which is a kind of chicken tikka deluxe. Then, for your main course, choose dishes such as baghare baingan, a Hyderabadi dish combining aubergine, peanuts and tamarind.
Or Malabar prawn curry, which is marinated king prawns with a kick of chilli, or goshtaba, the famous Kashmiri lamb curry – very velvety. Breads are also impressive, including an excellent naan; pudina paratha, a mint paratha; and stuffed kulcha.
The many imposing set meals are a good way to tour the menu without watching your wallet implode. Try the Maharaja thali – a complete meal on a tray. TV dinners will never be the same again. Bravehearts will tackle the Wazwan, which is a multi-course banquet, rich food from the North of India.
