Quilon Restaurant

We are frequent travelers, including to London. In all our travels, we pick the top restaurants to experience as my wife is a former restaurant owner and food commentator. On this trip, we were in Rome, Venice, Modena (at Massimo Bottura’s restaurant) and then London. We were at Quilon Sunday, Dec.3, 2016. I will briefly mention the food as it was, at best, average and nothing like we expected of a restaurant of its reputation. My wife was shocked that they would serve Tilapia, a farm raised fish. But our evening was ruined by the terrible service. We ordered the tasting menu with wine pairing. After receiving the first item, I waited for the wine. And waited. And waited. Then I asked for it. (The waiter’s excuse, in the presence of the manager, was that he thought I hadn’t finished my pre-​dinner cocktail!) With each serving, the wine was delayed. On one serving, a waiter took away a half full glass of wine. When he tried this again on the next dish, my wife confronted him and asked for it back. He said she would be getting a glass of wine with the next dish so we was taking the last (unfinished) wine. Dessert was done before the pairing wine arrived. After ordering a chi tea, we waited. Finally, we asked for the check and paid. As we got up, the manager arrived with the chi. I had had it. It told him of the terrible service. Frankly, my impression was that there was absolutely no training of staff and they seemed, individually, to run in various directions without purpose. The manager offered us a refund; what I wanted was my evening in London, known for good Indian food and good restaurants, back. Fortunately, The River Café and Moro’s restored our faith in London restaurants. Quilon was a shock and disaster. It certainly does not deserve a Michelin star; in fact, this experience undermines my reliance upon Michelin for fine dining.

Overall had a great meal here. Everything was tasty and beautifully presented. The setting was nice and the staff were outstanding. We had the seafood tasting menu. Every course was new and exciting, though I must say that the flavors tended toward overly salty, and sometimes the tasting menu seemed like an exercise in ‘how many different ways can we prepare these same scallops and prawns’. The meal ended up lasting over three hours, but our party was happy and satisfied (not bored, not impatient) by the end of it – this, to me, demonstrates that this is a very good restaurant.

Compared to other Indian fine dining establishments, I found Quilon disappointing. I’m told that my experience dining at this restaurant was out of the ordinary, so perhaps the other reviews should carry more weight than my vote.
Our group of three friends arrived at 9:45pm, which was the only reservation time we could secure. We entered the crowded entry where we were greeted with the wall of scent of Indian spices. Our table was not ready, so we were directed to the small lounge with a handful of dirty tables. Empty glasses, food crumbles and dirty paper napkins were strewn about. After about 10 minutes we flagged down a waiter, who took our drink order and didn’t return. Meanwhile, a wedding party in the adjacent room asked us to move to another table in the lounge so their larger party could sit there. Once we were displaced, they never used the table. Another 15 minutes later, our table was ready.
We ordered the set menu, which arrived in intermittent waves over the next few hours. The time between dishes was excessive and it was difficult to get the attention of the wait staff. The set of sauces and chutneys at the start of the meal was over-​spiced in the direction of HOT, not the sort of interesting spice combinations you expect in haut Indian cuisine. One of the chutneys was chopped up lemon rind — not zest, but the entire rind. Other than that, the food was pretty good, but not extraordinary. Nothing in the realm of a Michelin star restaurant. The table was filthy and rarely cleaned, and we had a hard time keeping our water glasses full. The room was so sweltering hot — and the hour so late — that even with an espresso shot I could barely endure the wait for the final dishes.
My friend, who dined at Quilon regularly, assured me that this was not the usual Quilon experience. Most likely the restaurant had not staffed up adequately to service the restaurant *and* the large wedding party. In the end, despite the rather large bill, the manager scored some extra points by taking note of a friend’s birthday and surprising us with a cake on our way out. Perhaps if I’m in the area again I’d give Quilon a second chance.

So we all know going to typical Indian restaurants means lots of good food but a smell in your clothing that will last days. Well, this place is an exception!
The kitchen is covered behind 2 separate doors and there’s little to no smell of fried food or curry sauce and spices in the seating area.
The food is delicious and clean with very appealing finish.
The staff is very accommodating and explains the menu as well as helps walk you through what you have ordered and answers questions you might have.
The price is great too.
We ordered a vegetarian dish and a fish/​prawn yellow curry dish. Both came with rice and lots of good side dishes.
Although we did not order appetizer, they brought us rice bread with several yummy side dishes (spicy).
After our food, we did not order desert but they brought us 2 scoops of sorbet. Yummy!
The price including VAT and service charge = £50. We had bottle water for drink.
So… Given the good food and very reasonable price, this place gets a 5 star in my book.

As a former part of the Empire it’s no surprise that outstanding Indian cuisine can be found in the UK. Quilon, a Michelin one star, delivers; producing stunning South-​west coastal Indian cuisine modernized for today’s taste. This is a sensory charged eperience.
Walk in and be greeted by air perfumed by fresh flowers. A warm welcome then regardless of your booking time, you will be invited to the lounge for a cocktail. Accept the invitation. Exceptional mixed drinks incorporating classic Indian libations. Nice selection of vintage beer.
Once seated in the contemporary dining room, the experience truly begins. A selection of «crackers» are presented with different spices and herb condiments. Even the spiciest clearly showcase the flavor of the ingredients. No thermonuclear, mouth blowing heat. Any with tomato are outstanding.
A lotus cake and crab cake are served together. The lotus, the unmistakable flavor of the seed brightened by a mildly spicy, chili infused mango sauce. The crab, very sweet with hints ginger, curry, and chilies with a mustard sauce, just good eats.
Seafood course follows with a tender, sweet prawn cooked with a tomato marsala and a curry leaf and lentil crusted fish with a fresh ginger and coconut «chutney». Flavors in both are very subtle but unmistakably Indian in origin. A warm, somewhat chewy, ghee infused skillet bread, malabar paratha, the perfect «mop» for the marsala.
Very different intermezzo that just works. This one a warm coriander scented tomato juice with the very clean flavor of fresh chili. Stateside yeeps, add some vodka and this would be the best bloody mary you’ve had.
Land courses include an excellent, deeply flavored, fragrant malabar lamb biryani, a rich, super charged, complex aromatic spiced mangalorean chicken. A dish of coconut with asparagus and snow peas sautéed in mustard, curry leaves and chilies plus plain yoghurt with pomegranate seeds rounds out the offerings. Taste them separately then on advice of the manager, mix them together on the same plate. Sounds bizarre but wow, it works.
A simple predessert highlighting a gently sweetened, refreshing berry purée then off to desssert. A good selection. OK alone but stellar with some port for much needed acidity.
Tip: Opt for a tasting menu for the table unless you are familiar with Indian cuisine. Dishes are presented individually (not family style) in logical courses so flavors compliment.
Very well chosen, practical wine list that best matches the food. Prices are very low for a restaurant of this caliber. Average bottle £40.
Service is excellent. Like a fine tuned machine with the single manager conducting it all and greeting every guest.
One month advance booking recommended.
Stellar.

Went here for lunch as it appeared to be he best value to try this Michelin starred restaurant. Nice presentation but food was honestly nothing special, no better than what I’ve had at some Indian lunch buffets in the States. I got the non veg sampler. Fish was talapia and it was very dry. I have had better fried okra at a local dive buffet. I paid £30 pounds after discount including tip. Least favorite of the Indian places we’ve tried this trip, Dishoom & Cinnamon Club were much better.

This may be the best Indian I’ve ever had. So fresh and spices were incredible. Service was fantastic. The manager greeted me at the door, I didn’t have a reservation and he walked me right in to a table. They had several craft beers which were welcome.
I will definitely be back.

Extraordinary in every way. The offerings were sophisticated with meats and fish done perfectly and spices that were not overwhelming. The service was excellent. Our waiter was knowledgable and attentive. The atmosphere was soothing without being too dark. Our wine selection (the Sauvignon blanc) was delightful.
Prices are on the high side but more than worth it. Some of the best Indian food we have ever had.

You may be concerned with this many four and five star reviews that you’re setting yourself up for a let down. You’re not. The atmosphere is calm, contemporary, and distinctly Indian. It feels like a natural and subtle blend of modern and Indian while completely avoiding any vulgar fusion that may come to mind.
Service is superb from the hostess at the entrance, to the wait staff, and management. While fairly busy they were attentive and quick.
The chef held up his end of the bargain with food to handle whatever cravings of Indian aromatics, spice, and ingredients you may have. I suggest the oyster on onion shell appetizer for a creamy delicate start. The prawn masala is definitely another pleaser. Tender and large prawns gently sauced with just the right spice.
You can always get a curry down at the pub. Go here for a quality dining evening.

We heard Indian food in London was incredible and they were right. This was our first night in London and our first nice restaurant in the first of a few «honeymoon» dinners; we just got married three months ago.
So this place was a little hard to find because there is a small sign outside. Anyhow asked for help and quickly found the place. Upon entering Quilon we found it to be modern, very comfortable and since we were early very quiet; that soon changed as the place got very full. They asked us if we would like a cocktail before dinner and we could not pass that up. They made two unique cocktails to their establishment and they were very tasty, I could have had a few more.
Shortly after our drinks, we were brought to our table. The waiter made a few suggestions and told us they were known for their seafood. So we chose the seafood tasting; where they bring you a few chef-​picked seafood dishes. My wife is crazy about lamb and they were more than happy to make a substitution.
Then craziness happened… They asked us if we were here for something special and I mentioned we traveled to London for our honeymoon and this was our first stop. Then the food did not stop coming, I am serious. We got our dinner as ordered, small plates, amazing tastes which I am still craving (I must find a good Indian restaurant in Seattle FAST) and after all of that they brought dessert on a plate wishing us Happy Anniversary and then more dessert and more. I literally got up and asked the waiter to stop bringing us food. Let me explain they were very happy we chose their restaurant for our honeymoon. I asked them to bag up for the food that was left over and once I got back to the hotel they had packed our to-​go bag with more chocolates. Who does this? What a top-​notch establishment.
Anyhow if you are in London and want a fantastic experience with the best Indian food I have ever had then please make reservations in advance and then go eat. But be hungry.

I came here for the first time around a year back and had a lunch set menu which was so-​so. It was also not ridiculously expensive for a Michelin Starred restaurant.
But we decided to do an à la carte experience as well. We were 4 of us and we did not set a budget — just decided to eat and drink well.
Drinks: The beers are excellent. We tried a few and all of them tasted good and did not make me cringe with the bitterness. Particularly liked the Innis & Gunn. The others also had some wine and cocktails which got some good reviews.
Starters: We ordered some chicken, crusted fish and kothu lamb. The lamb was not what we expected and was a bit mushy. The fish was amazing with rough spices on it fried to a T. The chicken was soft and juicy.
Mains: We had fish moli which was good — tangy+spicy = tasty. The prawn masala had some great masala paste. The lamb biriyani was good, not greasy — just the right amount of spice. The yoghurt that came with the biriyani was a highlight (always find it funny when you eat so much food and end up liking the most insignificant thing!). We also ordered some spinach poriyal which was so-​so. It was a token to being healthy and having some greens.
Porotta: The only reason to dock a star is the malabar porotta. This is a staple food that Keralites like to eat when they go to a restaurant. Its traditionally meant to be big and very unhealthy with dollops of oil etc. Here it was dry and tiny.
Service: Service was good. I would say it was excellent — but considering I am no regular Michelin star restaurant hopping person, you can make of that what you will. I particularly liked the complimentary rasam (which is a spicy drink they served between the starters and mains). The complimentary dessert ice cream was a flop though.
All in all £200 for 4 is not bad for an incredibly filling meal at a top restaurant.

I gave this Indian restaurant s try after reading the reviews. And I must say I was not disappointed. After I ordered the waiter brought me a selection of pickles and mungo and tomato chutney accompanied by crispy mini papadam, as I didn’t order a starter. It was delicious. My main course was prawn masala with lemon rice. The prawns were the biggest I ate so far and were sheer poetry. The lemon rice was fluffy and tasted heavenly. I finished with baked yoghurt. It came in three flavor I.e. Lychee, Mango and Blood orange. Creamy and heavenly. This was a worthy finish of an excellent meal.

London is one of my favorite cities for Indian food in the world, and Quilon is a big reason why. A bit pricey, but I’ve never seen Indian food prepared so elegantly in my life. The Shrimp Masala is a must have here.

Wow! This was our first taste of Indian food in lLondon and it was spectacular! The food was fresh, not greasy and delicious!
The service was top notch as well.
We in particular loved the shrimp masala, Malabar Paratha and the Hors d’oeuvres that were complimentary.
Will be visiting again!

Second time in my life in a Michelin starred indian restaurant, but first in an Indian restaurant with tasting menu. And I loved it! It’s a different way of trying different flavors in the same meal. That’s something I missed in the other Michelin starred restaurant I ate months ago. The food was lovely, and a very silence place. Great service. And the best mango lassi I’ve ever tried! ;)

Everything on the menu has been some of the best Indian food I’ve ever had. I cannot think of one thing that I’ve ordered and been disappointed with. Its a tad on the pricey side, but what place in London isn’t?
I can’t wait to get back to London and eat at this place again.

We felt that they deserve their Michelin Star. The service was impeccable. The food was divine. Worth every farthing.

Pretty amazing but so was the bill. Nonetheless, perhaps a special occasion or if you want to blow the socks off you vegetarian friend.
The Prawn Masala was excellent and large. Lemon Cice very nice accompaniment. Chef sent over a side of Chick Peas which were nice and spicy. Many nice service touches and all the condiments are house made. A beautiful sophisticated lunch for the well heeled foodie.

This is possibly the most fragrant restaurant I have ever walked into. The aroma on entering the foyer is more like a soap shop or a branch of Crabtree and Evelyn than a curry house. In the halls and foyer are large brass bowls filled with water and flowers. After walking in from central London it’s like a nasal massage.
The ambience sophisticated without being pretentious and the décor is clean and modern. The staff are very attentive and professional.
I was lucky enough to come here with a seasoned veteran of Quilon who knowing the manager requested a tasting menu not listed formally anywhere.
First arrived a long strip of mini poppadums with some revelationary dips, one spicy, one minty.
Then we moved on to the meal proper with a selection of three starters, crab cake; mini masala dosa with vegetables and potato and sambhar; Kothu lamb. They were all outstanding. The crab cakes were delicious and meaty, the sambhar that accompanied the dosa was incredible and the lamb was one of the nicest things I’ve ever tasted at a restaurant.
As a palate cleanser we were presented with glasses of a hot tomato based spicy broth which seemed reminiscent of tom yum soup.
For main course we were treated to some fish with a spicy crust, an enormous king prawn in a peppery sauce, Mangalorean chicken, Malabar lamb, a yellow dhal, okra in batter and lemon rice. Have the okra, it was excellent and I don’t even like okra. The sauces were rich, spicy without necessarily being hot and everything was delicious.
We chose Flint Dry, a white from the Chapel Down winery in Tenterden Kent. A fresh, clean tasting wine that is crisp without being acidic. It worked perfectly with the rich flavours of the food we were enjoying, not a wine I would pick to drink on its own as I tend towards big soft burgundies which although fantastic wouldn’t have worked half as well in this context.
Desert, well it was desert, I’ve never been a fan of Indian deserts, I’ve tried seemingly hundreds of them but they have never worked for my palate, I find them too sweet, or too much like milk based dishes of my school days or too almondy… My friend ordered, so we had a selection of baked yoghurts, some unusual wheat based tapioca and a strange cake that seemed to be made of layers of pancake separated by chocolate sauce. None of them really worked for me, but I put that down to me rather than the deserts.
We finished off with espresso and some phenomenal discs of chocolate that arrived presented like a tree on a small wooden staff. The chocolate discs were thin, dense and packed with flavour, the white chocolate was infused with cardamom and the dark with rose oil. Fantastic and possibly worth coming for on their own.
I’m going to rate this restaurant based on everything bar the deserts as recognising my prejudices, I never order deserts in Indian restaurants. To give a restaurant five stars I have to wake up in the dead of night, worried that they will close or that it might get so famous I’ll never get a table. The sort of place that gives me withdrawal symptoms if I don’t go every couple of months. These places might not necessarily be expensive, not everything on the menu need be that good, but there are things so good that I might put them on my dessert island discs of food or my last meal before firing squad option list. It was close, but in the end, excellent just isn’t enough for five stars from me and this was excellent food, a great Indian fine dining experience, so fine that they have a Michelin star, fine enough in fact that they have a very solid Unilocal four stars.
Go, you’ll love it.

Absolutely delicious!!! Was there for lunch and the 2 course lunch is a really good value. I highly recommend the fried cauliflower and the prawn masala, the lemon rice and okra were fab too! The service was friendly and very attentive. Great spot — will definitely return for dinner.

Des saveurs agréables, des plats raisonnablement épicés.
Desserts un peu simples.
Carte des vins complète avec des vins au verre et à la carafe.
Service correct, les serveurs poussent peut être un peu a la consommation.
Globalement satisfait.
Note un peu élevée par rapport à la qualité des plats.