On In London reviews Masala Zone

In the heart of Piccadilly Circus, you’ll find one of London’s very best Indian restaurants.

Located in the Criterion building, which dates back to 1873, Masala Zone Piccadilly Circus wows on entrance with a beautiful and attention grabbing gold ceiling. The interior seems to go on and on, a labyrinth style building with lots of cosy corners and elaborate authentic décor. One could liken it to the interior of a Maharajah’s palace.

Since the restaurant launched in 2001, Masala Zone has been the recipient of many positive reviews and accolades, and it’s no surprise. The warm Indian service is always a cut above the rest,  and this was really noticeable upon entrance, all the way until leaving for the evening, bellies full and satiated.

With a large and diverse menu, we welcomed the help of the friendly team to decide on dishes. We were told the Onion Flower Bhajia was one of the most famous dishes. This beautiful dish was served crispy and with chaat chutney, mild in spices, yet delicious. We also opted for the Goan Crispy Fried Prawns with an authentic vindaloo mayo chutney which was spicy and tasty.

For mains, whilst we were tempted by the Thali – a traditional Indian dish offering small selections of plates such as a rice, a curry a dal and a chapati – we decided to be more adventurous and try some of the larger dishes.

We decided on the Undhiyo, a Gujarati favourite with nine exotic veggies including yam and raw banana, cooked with garlic and fresh green herbs. This was recommended as more of a side as it was dryer than a traditional curry. For mains we were recommended the classic Butter Chicken and the Lamb Rogan Josh. Both were really excellent and packed full of flavour and spices. To complement the dishes, we mopped everything up with a fragrant Peshwari Naan.

There were a fantastic range of cocktails available. The Santara Cosmopolitan provided a zingy and refreshing twist on a classic and the Saffron & Black Pepper Negroni was a mature and sophisticated drink with a complex taste.

The ideal date spot, the space is set to stun, surprise and delight, and we enjoyed every moment of our visit, which certainly didn’t feel like it was in the middle of tourist town. It rather felt like a little taste of authentic India.

Find out more > www.masalazone.com