Last Updated on August 12, 2025
Atul Kochhar brings Indian fine dining to Beaconsfield
I’ve been eating at chef Atul Kochhar’s restaurants for many years now going back to his Michelin starred stints at Tamarind and Benares. Atul is one of the top and most progressive Indian chef/patrons working in the UK so we are always pleased to be invited to review his restaurants. More recently he has diversified his offer under the brand Atul Kochhar Restaurants.
With Kanishka in Mayfair, the recently launched Vassu in Marlow, the newly refurbished Sindhu at The Compleat Angler Hotel also in Marlow, Hawkyns at The Crown Inn, Amersham, Mathura restaurant and Mathura at Home delivery service, his Wembley street food joint Masalchi and now the recently opened Riwaz in Beaconsfield it seems as if Kochhar is taking over the Home Counties. But I’m interested to see if he can he bring Mayfair standards to more regional outposts.
Riwaz means ‘tradition’ and the food is ‘inspired by the history, cultural practices and rustic charm of the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, West Bengali, and Orissa among others’. It’s an Indian fine dining menu that includes influences from the British Indian diaspora as well as some of Atul’s grandmother’s dishes. In addition to the à la carte menu, there is a set lunch, a Jugalbandi tasting menu for two to share, along with meat-oriented, vegetarian and pescatarian tasting menus with matched wines that we are going to investigate.
Riwaz restaurant is just a 30-minute drive from West London with easy parking and is situated in the centre of town in an attractively converted pub. There’s a bijou garden with heaters for al fresco dining. The interior showcases the building’s charming exposed wooden beams and old brick walls. There are wooden tables and floors with elephant themed Indian wallpaper and olive-coloured banquettes.
We sampled dishes from the three wonderful looking tasting menus which came with matched wines. We loved the hot crispy poppadums served with sweet-sour tamarind and fruity mixed berry chutneys that preceded the main event.
Our first dish was a Rampuri Daal Palak Kebab – an umami-flavoured, mildly spiced and soft textured potato, spinach and lentil cake enlivened by the sweet heat of the tomato and raisin chutney. That hint of sweetness was picked up by the accompanying crisp and creamy Atul Kochhar Sparkling Wine DOC NV from the Veneto.
Next up was one of my favourite dishes of the day, Jal Pari or a super-tender Tandoor seared Scottish scallop served with an earthy lentil salad, the crunch of mung beans and a fragrant broccoli purée. I love trying new wines and the Mango Wine from the Rhythm Winery in Pune, India – a blend of 70% Sauvignon Blanc 30% Alphonso Mango – was a revelation. It was like a dessert wine with the distinctive Alphonso mango aftertaste,
John Dory is one of my favourite fish and I was concerned that its delicate flavour might have been overwhelmed in the Hare Masale Ki Machhi. However, served with wilted spinach, a delicate spinach sauce and with gunpowder seasoning it was perfectly cooked and delicious. The accompanying glass of Grüner Veltliner, Voms Haus, Pfaffl, Austria with its citrus, honey and petrol notes was a great match.
Malai Chandi Tikka, a dish of grilled mint-marinated chicken was plated with silver leaf and a red onion salad. It was mildly spiced and perfectly tender and the De Bortoli Regional Reserves, from the Yarra Valley in Australia Pinot Noir with its blackcurrant flavours and on the nose tannins was a fab accompaniment.
To cleanse our palates our peach granita was refreshing and not too sweet. Punjabi Butter Chicken is a great favourite. Grilled on the tandoor and in a rich, buttery, tomato sauce with fenugreek leaves and waxy, turmeric aloo potatoes it was the perfect comfort food and full of flavour. The crisp, citrus notes of Albarino Journey Collectio, Roman Bilbao, Spain cut through the richness of the sauce perfectly. An earthy, creamy black daal, fragrant Pulao rice and a flaky butter naan were perfect side dishes to mop up the sauce.
An ambitious dessert going under the name Textures of Chocolate was well delivered. Chocolate soil, a garam masala infused chocolate mousse, raspberry and blackberry and a passionfruit coulis all washed down with the sweetness of a Chateau Jany Sauternes from Bordeaux was a great way to end the meal.
Riwaz brings accessible Indian fine dining with charming, accommodating service and an excitingly innovative wine list to Beaconsfield. With the tasting menus at £65 per person (£120 per person with pairing wines), it’s not going to break the bank. There’s a 2022 Tunbridge Wells opening to come so Kochhar is continuing his exciting expansion. I hope we are invited!
Riwaz by Atul Kochhar
41 Aylesbury End, Beaconsfield HP9 1LU
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