Imli Restaurant

 

The Spanish have got a lot to answer for – the tapas concept seems to be infiltrating every corridor of London’s culinary kingdom. And that’s not a bad thing. In the Iberian homeland the idea is very much snack-whilst-you-drink, but here in London it’s become a bona fide dining experience. Here it is in its latest Indian guise. Imli is the latest restaurant from the team behind Tamarind, so expectations are naturally high. The array of dishes is impressive and finds space for some truly novel delights you might not imagine on an Indian menu. Ser Puri – potato-filled wheat crisps topped with sweet yogurt, date chutney and vermicelli - were a thought provoking amuse-bouche and the seafood platter was perfectly balanced with some delicious sesame garlic prawns. Some of the more traditional curries were a little lacklustre missing the punch you’d ordinarily expect. Even so, the desserts were a taste-bud tempting revelation – the unusual raspberry and black salt sorbet comes highly recommended. The wait staff are friendly and thoughtful if slightly harried during busy times. Best advice is don’t be afraid to be adventurous – it’ll pay dividends. As it’s tapas you don’t have to pay dearly for any mishaps, just skip that dish and move on to the next.