Chakra, Little Venice

Last Updated on March 7, 2022

Sophisticated Indian Dining at Chakra Little Venice

In the heart of London’s charming Little Venice neighbourhood, situated between the Great Union Canal and Regent’s Canal, Chakra Little Venice is a stylish and sophisticated new Indian restaurant on Formosa Street. Walking in from the cold on a small quiet street, visitors are struck by Chakra Little Venice’s impressive décor. The far corner hosts colourful and lush bouquets, and copper smoked mirrors line the walls. The cuisine on offer at Chakra Little Venice is North Indian cooking taking additional inspiration from famous Indo-Chinese dishes such as salt and pepper tofu and sea spice aubergine. The menu at Chakra Little Venice is divided into several sections including street food, small plates, Indian grill, desi classics (curries), biryani and rice, and vegetarian mains.

Starting with a drinks order, the mango lassi was cool and refreshing without too much sweetness. From the ‘street food’ section of the menu, we then ordered Pani Purri (which is potato, onion, chickpea spiced mix in a semolina cup infused with tamarind, mint and spiced water) which offered a sharp spicy taste in the crisp semolina cup. The chaat samosa was deep-fried containing tasty chickpeas and was another excellent vegetarian option for starters.

Along with our mains, we ordered chilli cheese naan. As a dedicated fan of Cheddar cheese, I was delighted by this accompaniment which was a standard naan with added aged cheddar and chilli and stuffed with spring onion. The naan was not too oily and had just the right level of cheese with just over a hint of spice.

On to the mains and I enjoyed Chakra Little Venice’s Rogan Josh lamb curry, one of the signature dishes of Kashmiri cuisine. The meat was tender and rich in a flavourful sauce. The curries were served in an attractive silver pot with golden handles which added to the restaurant’s charming atmosphere. From the vegetarian mains section of the menu, we ordered the paneer butter masala – home-style cottage cheese simmered in creamed tomato and spices. The dish was spicy and fragrant and the tomato sauce was hearty with classic masala flavour. The portions at Chakra Little Venice are also very generous, great for hungry visitors, although the attentive staff at the restaurant offer a takeaway service for those who may have over-ordered.

One of the most striking aspects of our meal was the dessert – gulab jamun, smartly served in a warm glass with a dusting of pistachio. The syrupy dessert was delicious and also not overly sweet.