Farzi London London

I went to Farzi Cafe, on Haymarket, for lunch with one of my oldest friends, Jim. We worked together for years, in London and Hong Kong, and both particularly love Indian cuisine. Farzi is part of an international group that serves modern and accessible dishes in a brightly lit contemporary environment. Let's face it: Indian cuisine has a bit of a reputational problem among diners who associate it with heavy sauces and challenging spice levels. All nonsense, of course, as long as you stay away from unevolved balti houses. It's a varied cuisine made with fresh herbs and spices;. There are multiple vegetarian and fish dishes, and plenty of other things in line with modern dining, including simple grills and family-style sharing. We had fun at Farzi, and Jim was happy with my choice of restaurant. We tried a variety of dishes @farzilondon, including (if I remember correctly) Fryums & Pappadums (£5.5); Spicy Edamame (£7); Winter Beetroot & Chhena Kofta (£18); Chicken Railway Curry (£20); 4 Cheese & Wild Mushroom Kebab (£10); chicken dumplings (£11); Angara Paneer Shaslik (£14); and Butter Chicken Bao (£11). The dishes are colourful and, I'd say, created with youthful diners in mind. They are Instagrammable -- our old friend dry ice made an appearance at one point -- and not over-complex, with a hint of sweetness. There are well-priced non-veg and vegetarian menus at £42, and colourful cocktails, too. The lunchtime thali menu is £18.95. Thank you, Farzi, for the invitation. #rvinesdines #indianfood. Less