Last Updated on June 4, 2025
An Indian Jewel in Mayfair
4.5 out of 5.0 stars
Bang in the heart of Mayfair on the junction of Queen Street and Curzon Street is a stunning new 50-cover space serving some of the finest Indian food in the capital. Tamarind was the first Indian restaurant to gain a Michelin star. It has now gained a new Terrace created by up-and-coming designer Stephanie Barba Mendoza, and we are excited to have been asked to review.
The Tamarind Terrace sits under a retractable ‘statement fabric ’ covered canopy, allowing the space to be open to the elements or transformed into something that feels like a glowing Maharaja’s tent. With jazz playing on the sound system, the terrace is studded with greenery, which adds to the outdoors feel.
There are teal velvet banquettes and dusty pink metal conservatory chairs to sit on, making it a very feminine space with a central bar crafted from Champagne-coloured fabric and hanging lamps resembling garlic bulbs. In short, it’s very pretty!
Alongside the regular à la carte and tasting menus, Tamarind Terrace has its own menu, which ‘features a fantastic range of small plates, salads, grills and desserts.’ We order cocktails from the bespoke Terrace Collection: 3 Mojitos with alcohol-free alternatives dreamt up by cocktail maestro Carole Brown in collaboration with Boatyard Distillery. The Amaro is a blend of British-made Dropworks Clear Drop rum, which gives the drink depth of flavour, Asterley Bros Dispense Amaro vermouth, Monin bitter, calamansi (Filipino lime), mint and pink grapefruit soda to give it a citrus zing. It’s a lovely fresh summer’s cocktail, but one that has body. The Mango Mojito also uses Dropworks Clear Drop rum, mango for tropical sweetness, the lemon-minty notes of palo santo oil, chilli to give it a spick kick, mint, lime and pineapple soda. Sweet and spicy!
We sample a range of fabulous dishes from across the various menus. A beautifully presented dish of Rajasthani Churi Chaat is really elevated Indian street food. With the crunch of spiced papads and the sweet-sour flavour of tamarind chutney, it’s a textural delight with multiple types of crunch, bursting with flavour and studded with pomegranates.
Nutty yoghurt and corn kebabs come as a grilled patty with a melting cheesy interior and an intense tamarind and black pepper salsa that is sweet-sour and peppery.
Chargrilled coconut and sea bass with a fresh chilli glaze is a gorgeous dish with a warming mouth feel mitigated by the gentleness of the coconut. A dehydrated black olive and salmon roe salsa adds saltiness to the equation.
From India’s western coast come Tandoori Konkan prawns. Wild prawns with pickled chillies and tamarind have a wonderful flavour and a deep, intense heat that the coolness of a cucumber and corn salad assuages.
With our main dishes, we drink a glass of the Spanish house white wine, Care 2024, a fresh Garnacha and Chardonnay blend with tropical fruit notes. It was pleasant, but slightly overwhelmed by the food, so stick to the cocktails!
A butter naan is feather-light, crispy, blistered and buttery. It’s perfect for mopping up our Keralan style Alleppey Prawn Curry, which is rich and spicy and made with black tamarind, raw mango, red chilli, coconut and curry leaves. Fresh okra is chopped and stir-fried with onion, onion seeds and raw mango. The dish is tangy and fragrant from baby lemon grass stems. Our rice dish is a Jeera Pulao; flakey grains coated with a silky layer of ghee and flavoured with a hint of cumin.
A blackberry Kulfi dessert with almond and rose brittle is refreshing after the spice and has a forest fruit sweetness. Whereas the dark and milk chocolate and hazelnut praline bar is soft and rich with an almond and roasted coriander crunch.
The food at Tamarind is terrific and the new terrace is a spectacular addition to the main dining room, basement open kitchen dining area and private dining room that make up the restaurant. With its own menu, it also allows for all-day dining and drinking, which is a new option for Tamarind as well as providing a softer ambience. It’s going to be a huge hit!
Tamarind
20 Queen Street
Mayfair
London
W1J 5PR
+44 (0)207 629 3561
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