Esteemed Indian restaurant in Fitzrovia, Pahli Hill, has launched their highly-anticipated Christmas menu for this year and we got to enjoy some of the best regional Indian plates brought straight over from the home kitchens of Mumbai. Chef Avinash Shashidhara (previously at Claude Bosi’s Hibiscus, and The River Cafe) has cultivated a menu of Indian plates perfectly designed to explore the authentic flavours and share with your loved ones this Christmas.
Whilst enjoying the moody, cozy, lounge-feel atmosphere, we got to choose a range of different plate styles, including small plates, tandoor and grill, big plates, and sweet plates for our meal.
To start, we had the slow cooked coorg pork shoulder which was very tender and deep with spices including cloves, and the mangalore bun & crab sukkha which was light and packed with subtle spices and vibrant lemon. There was plenty more to choose from including Papadi Chat with yoghurt, Delica pumpkin, Camone tomato, pomegranate, beetroot, and mint and tamarind chutney, as well as Kulcha, a homemade flatbread topped with Girolles, fontina, birds eye chilli, chives and Umbrian black truffles which are sure to tantalise your tastebuds.
The next course was all offered from the Tandoor, the Shikari Seekh Kebabs with venison, duck, partridge walnut chutney and a tart quince Murabba are fresh off the grill, while the famous Pahli Hill Tandoori Chicken Tikka is fresh out the tandoor, complemented by cucumber, coriander & mint salad, and a spicy kick of grated horseradish.
Despite being increasing full, we had still not yet got to the big plates! We went with a Homestyle Chicken Curry, with yoghurt, star anise, stone flower and fennel and the Cornish Lamb Biryani, with Bombay onion and cucumber raita, banana chilli, and baby aubergine Salan. Both were very generous, with layers of flavour and deliberate spices.
For dessert, we powered though and managed a Dark Chocolate Rum Cake with Whipped Cream plus a refreshing Pomegranate Ice Gola.
We highly recommend a visit to Pahil Hill; the laid-back vibe of the restaurant matched with the warm spices of the food really works for a cozy Christmas meal and they have a few dining options over the Christmas period to choose from;
Chef’s Counter experience
For a really exclusive experience, Pahli Hill also offers a Chef’s Counter experience for £125, where guests can sit at the kitchen pass for the evening and enjoy a bespoke menu curated by renowned Head Chef, Avi Shashidara, recently seen on BBC’s Great British Menu. For the entire evening, diners will be able to sample an array of authentic Indian flavours across twelve courses with the option of paired wines. Chef Avi will be on hand to talk guests through all the dishes, his take on Indian cooking, and his experience working in the kitchens of some of the most respected restaurants across the UK and Europe, including The River Cafe.
The Chef’s Counter at Pahli Hill takes place weekly on Fridays and Saturdays, and opens up for four guests in two sittings, from 6-8.30pm, and 8.45-close.
View the Chef’s counter menu here.
Restaurant vouchers
Perfect for the foodie in your life that you just don’t know what to gift, why not send them a restaurant voucher to Pahli Hill? With the option to gift one of Pahli Hill’s experiences, or a gift voucher to be used however they wish, this present will truly be one they will enjoy.
For £125 per person, you can gift The Pahli Hill Tasting Menu or the Chefs Counter Experience with Chef Avi Shashidhara. The Tasting Menu comprises 12 courses, with the option for paired wines for an additional £75 per person.
Also available is a gift voucher of any cost more than £50, so that the receiver can choose exactly what they’d like to do with it, be that a meal in the restaurant or enjoy the vast arrange of superb cocktails on offer at Bandra Bhai, the downstairs bar.
Vouchers available to purchase here.
Christmas Menu
Enjoy a specially created Christmas menu which is available for £85 per person, and runs until after Christmas.
View the Vegetarian Christmas Menu here.
