If you grew up in a household accustomed to Indian cuisine, this is not the place for you. There, I said it.
Don’t get me wrong, it is a fantastic restaurant for a lovely meal but some would say that whilst Cinnamon Club specialises in imaginative, contemporary, luxurious Indian fine dining, it’s just not ‘real Indian food’. I mean, look at this fancy lamb mille-feuille.
The restaurant itself is especially great for business meetings, adult family dinners and of course, romantic dates. I like that it is upscale for an Indian restaurant but not pretentious, despite having an air of gentleman’s club vibe.
Speaking of which, the whole inside is a v-i-b-e and you can see why – assuming you can find the restaurant in the first place.
See, it’s located in the heart of Westminster, in what was once Westminster Library, the Cinnamon Club, from the outside, blends into the city, making it slightly difficult to find but it’s pretty damn magical as soon as you enter.
Upon entry, you’re immediately greeted by a large open space with high ceilings, elegant tables and most importantly, a view that is quite impressive. It’s basically a Bibliophile’s dream come true.
Entire walls of bookshelves wrap around the main dining space transporting you to a place and time of sophistication and elegance. And then it hits you, it used to be a library! A freaking library! Honestly, it’s one of the main reasons we keep coming back.
Right, back to the important bits: the food. The menu was extensive and slightly overwhelming. Typical of this type of cuisine so we opted for the tasting menu (~£85) – with wine pairing (~£170), obviously. Definitely on the pricier side but a great choice if you’re overwhelmed and want to try a little of everything.
This grilled king prawn with alleppey curry sauce is delicious.
Heads up if you’re a wine connoisseur, the pairing isn’t necessarily a pairing in the traditional sense but fortunately, it had very generous (and forgiving) serving sizes (considering it is meant to be a tasting). If you’re not a heavy drinker, expect to get drunk. hiheyhellowasssup.
Also, DO NOT order anything else beyond the tasting menu that because you’ll end up with way too much food. Speaking from personal experience, obviously.
All in all the food was lovely and after having been here a couple of times, it’s safe to say that not only will you be pleasantly surprised, it is reliable as well. Even with seasonal menu changes. But real talk, the tasting menu also has a ‘rest course’, which is always appreciated (deffo need that breather) and shit, it’s hella cute.
Oh and, if you’re like my boyfriend and not particularly a fan of Indian cuisine, give it a try (not ‘real Indian food’, remember). Surprisingly, he loves this restaurant – as told by his sexy gaze of pure flavour-plosion after tasting some of the dishes. Big success in my book.
Verdict: Consider this your gateway experience into Indian cuisine with an amazing backdrop. Classy and sophisticated but not pretentious. One of the restaurants we went to pre-covid and now, we’re back again, post-lockdown.
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