With a succinct, captivating menu, warm service, great environment and a good looking cocktail list, this is the perfect spot for an afternoon lunch with a twist.
The sophisticated indoor and elegant outdoor terrace on the well-known Maddox Street makes Kanishka a great choice for a day spent around the centre of London, nestled away from the gorgeously crowded Regent’s Street.
Summer days were made to be spent at cute alfresco terraces so we opted for the coziest spot on Kanishka’s outdoor terrace. Whilst people watching and enjoying the sunshine, looking down onto busy Mayfair, we started our meals with some unexpected cocktails, Atul’s Passion Fruit Martini and a delicious Tandoor Pineapple Rum Punch. Both bright, vibrant and packed with flavour, the infamous cocktails were a perfect palate cleanser to our meal.
To start our Kanishka food journey we were served a selection of poppadoms with chutney, while waiting for our starters. Our first course consisted of Mizo Vawksa with Stir-fried Chicken, Pak Choi, Spinach and King Chillies and Misa Mach Poora with Grilled Prawns, Shidol Chutney. The chicken was really tender, rich and spicy – full of flavour! The grilled prawns were nice, large, juicy and meaty prawns, but from our point of view, they were not as seasoned as you’d expect at an Indian restaurant.
For our mains, we picked the Mango and Raisins Stuffed Paneer with Courgettes Fritter and Malai Curry and the Mixed Grill of Chicken Tikka and Lamb Seekh. Paneer, or Indian cottage cheese, when cooked well, can be an absolute delight of Indian cuisine, and this one was really appetizing. The dish did not pack an incredible punch, as might be expected of Indian food, but with a creamy curry and a crispy and tender courgette fritter we were left wanting more.