Amaya

06-02-2009
Mary brent  0 

Not just another curry house. Amaya is a beautiful Indian restaurant in Knightsbridge. Chic and expensive but very good, the food here is grilled on a thick iron plates or clay ovens in front of diners. The sense of drama this adds to the meal is massive.

We ordered Monkfish and Rock Oysters as part of the pre theatre dinner, both were infused with sutble flavours made from high quality ingredients and cooked perfectly.

Amaya has it all, atmosphere, stlye, service, great great food and a big bill after every meal.

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10-01-2009
Andy Hayler  0 

It is over three years since I first visited Amaya. My memory was of good tandoori cooking and a smart room, but with a few inconsistencies and a bill that was just too high to justify the level of food. Tonight was a much better experience, still with high prices but with food that generally justified them. There are no popadoms here, and a menu that involves a number of smaller dishes being brought in quick succession, ending with a biriani.

Black pepper chicken tikka (£9.15) was a revelation; though not mentioned on the menu, this was the malai style where there is a marinade involving cheese, resulting in the chicken being particularly soft. In this case the spices were very well balanced, and indeed the only version of this dish I can recall that was better was at the Leela Palace in Goa (5/10). Jumbo prawns from Madagascar with chilli herbs and lime (£18.50) were quite tender given their large size (the piece I had was a fraction overcooked, but only a fraction), again with a well judged marinade (3/10).

Grouper in a pandan leaf (£12.50) was cooked with, mustard chilli and peanuts, and although pleasant I think would have been better with a higher quality fish such as John Dory (a good 2/10). Grilled lamb chop (£20) was excellent, cooked with ginger, lime and coriander (4/10). Tandoori organic broccoli (£8.50) was a bit of a let-down for what seems to be somewhat of a signature dish, and I gather from a regular diner that it can be better than this (2/10).

Boned tandoori quail (£10.25) was again very tender, having a sweetness from the apricots it was cooked with, but with the spices meaning that it avoided being cloying (4/10). Biriani was excellent, served in an iron pot and sealed with pastry as it should be, the rice fragrant and the meat retaining moistness, so often the Achilles heel of a biriani (4/10). Breads were very good, with nice soft texture (3/10).

Slices of the new season Alphonso mango from Mumbai are an ideal way to finish an Indian meal. We drank mostly beer though there is a pleasant wine list. Service was a strange mix of pleasant, arrogant and inept. Our waitress was lovely, but the booking process apparently resembled the kind of bureaucracy more normally associated with the Indian civil service. Moreover when we arrived and order drinks we were the only people in the bar and yet our simple drinks order seemed entirely beyond the multiple bar staff, who lost track entirely.

Amaya also has the dubious privilege of joining the rarefied ranks of just three restaurants who have even refused to give me a copy of the menu (the others being Girardet, which exuded Swiss aloofness, though even they offered to sell me a copy, and Le Manoir Au Quat Saisons, who eventually palmed me off with an out of date menu). I can only think of a few reasons why someone might ask for a menu at the end of a meal: they might want to recommend it to their friends afterwards, they are foodies who collect menus, or they are writing a review. I am thinking that in all three cases it may be in the restaurant’s interests to give the diner a menu. In Michelin 3 star places the chef often appears in person and signs the menu, so pleased is he that a diner cares that much. But not here. It is a shame that the service detracted from what was very good cooking indeed.

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08-01-2009
Valentina Sutto MyVillage  0 

Located at one of London's most prestigious addresses, between Knightsbridge and Sloane Square, Amaya Bar & Grill boasts a minimalist, polished, open plan interior, with the kitchen taking centre stage. Focusing on three main Indian grill methods, the Tandoor (clay oven), Sigri (char grill) and Tawa (hot griddle plate), the chefs at Amaya have taken their direction from the roots of Indian cuisine and in doing so have created master cuisine aimed at the modern palate.

With the menu divided into salads, fish, poultry, lamb and vegetarian, the dishes are served in modest portions, with the idea being that six to eight portions provide a delectable mix for two people. The theatre style kitchen gives the venue an exciting buzz, and as soon as we had placed our order we saw the chefs start work behind the grills.

The first dish to arrive consisted of two king scallops served on their shell. The velvety meat of the shellfish had the perfect consistency, whilst the chilli, coriander, lime and lemongrass sauce offered a sublimely delicate but decisive taste. To follow, some incredibly tender black pepper chicken chops and a whole serving of Madagascar king prawn. The crustacean had a sweet meat that bore resemblance to both lobster and king prawn, whilst at the same time retaining a distinctive flavour.To keep our taste buds dancing the waiter served Tandoor cooked broccoli in a mild yogurt sauce and a selection of Naan Bread, which was amazingly crisp and still warm from the grill. Last but not least, we finished our imperial meal with a royal lamb kebab. Created for an Emperor, who despite not having any teeth still wanted to eat kebab, the dish is created from finely chopped lamb, complimented by a delicious selection of spices.

For dessert, we opted for the chargrilled mango and lemon tart with Limoncello jelly, the perfect companion to a meal that had provided an amazing explosion of tastes.Since opening in late 2004, Amaya has won several accolades, including the Tio Pepe award for Best Restaurant, Best New Restaurants in London 2005, and a Michelin Star. It takes a great team of people to create the perfect interior, atmosphere, service, menu and quality of food and I truly believe Amaya has got it all. 11 stars out of 10

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21-03-2006
Leanne Baker

"This is a great choice for a special night out. The dishes are ideal for sharing and everything is delicious. The open kitchen is great to watch the chefs cooking with the tandoori and it makes your mouth water before the food arrives. A really beautiful restaurant to take someone special. "

21-03-2006
Sarah Jacobs

"This is a really amazing restaurant with open kitchen and delicious food. The dishes are great for sharing and all are so tasty. This is a great place for a special night out."