Vindaloo Vic

Definitive Reviews of London’s Indian Restaurants

Curry Leaf East 5

Someone told me this was the best Indian restaurant in London, so I cancelled all my engagements and headed here as soon as I could to check it out.

Alas, my opinion is somewhat different. Curry Leaf East is OK – but OK is hardly a recommendation in a city with so many excellent alternatives.

We began with a selection of starters including Mussels Masala and Kakori Kebab. The portions were modest and the taste was “OK”. For main courses we tried Lamb Rogan Josh and one of their house specials, Manchoori Chicken. This was a slightly watery concoction, pleasant but hardly distinctive. Again, the portions were rather small but the overall verdict was that everything was “OK”.

I think the main problem was that the meal was unduly expensive. It’s reasonable to charge 75p for a Popadom, but I think adding a further 50p (each) for the Chutneys and Pickles is a bit steep. We couldn’t quite work out why the final bill was as high as it was, although it was mathematically correct.

Average food. Small portions. High prices. Not really worth getting excited about.