Colonel Saab is an Indian restaurant that has it all. A true love letter to India with food you want to eat every day. Following the success of Holborn’s multi-award-winning Indian restaurant, Colonel Saab, restaurateur Roop Partap Choudhary has launched the second, larger Colonel Saab in Trafalgar Square. Like the original, expect a meticulously curated menu and art with a homely atmosphere.
The Story So Far
The second restaurant features a sleek bar, lounge area, and opulent dining room bathed in light by a canopy of ornate chandeliers from Firozabad with a mezzanine area plus two private dining rooms. In the past year, it has been named one of the top Indian restaurants by Forbes, won Newcomer of the Year at the Asian Curry Awards, Best Newcomer at the British Curry Awards, Best Restaurant in Feed the Lion awards and more.
The Colonel Saab restaurants are a homage to Choudhary’s travels across India with his mother, Mrs Binny Choudhary and father, Colonel Manbeer, who was given the honorific name ‘Colonel Saab’ while serving in the Indian Army. The postings across India enabled them to experience the continent’s rich diversity of food from traditional local lunches in the tents of Rajasthan to British-inspired Indian breakfasts in the Officer’s Mess and banquets hosted by Indian nobility and Maharajas.
Roop spent a year retracing his father’s footsteps across India by train, bus and car to curate contemporary twists on dishes passed down through the generations of people they met, with many regional specialities appearing for the first time on a London menu.
The Food
Chef Sohan Bhandari is a culinary genius. His balance of flavours, range of dishes and authenticity throughout is brilliant. The exciting, all-day dining menu is full of modern takes on nostalgic dishes, from British and Indian fusion afternoon high tea, regional favourites rarely served in the UK, like the Sunday Lamb Curry; signature dishes, like Falahari Curry Kofta, or their popular Gutti Vankaya — Andhra curry, baby aubergines in tangy tamarind gravy. So many Indian restaurants shy away from Indian desserts but here you can expect signatures like the Rasmalai Milk Cake in cardamom cream and Boondi Caviar or the Bengali Mishti Doi Cheesecake in jaggery syrup.
While indulging in flavours of India, the menu offers other standouts including some very tender spice-rubbed lamb chops and an elegantly presented shoulder of lamb with pao buns. Other classics that are a must-try are Chef Sohan’s Confit of Cauliflower, a slow-baked cauliflower and cardamom saffron sauce and Colonel Saab’s Butter Chicken, with tender chicken enhanced with a rich, velvety tomato and cashew gravy.
The Drinks
Every element of Colonel Saab has been lovingly and imaginatively crafted to create a multi-sensory experience of India, including the drinks. A Masala Dabba — or spice box — of artisanal gins, whiskies and rums based on Indian botanicals has been created with the Diageo mixology team, along with innovative cocktails, designed to complement the food, named after Choudhary’s family members.
Carefully curated bespoke cocktails also elevate the dining experience at Colonel Saab. The must-try, signature concoction carries the restaurant’s namesake, the Colonel Saab. With comforting and invigorating blended flavours of Bulleit Bourbon, coffee and chai, the cocktail creates a soul-soothing experience. Our favourite was Banarasi, an original take on Paan, an Indian mouth sweetener, freshener, and digestive made from betel leaves. This unique cocktail features a homemade betel leaf vodka and paan mix served over ice. Genius.
One to Watch
Dining at Colonel Saab Trafalgar Square is also a feast for the eyes, and both restaurants feature a treasure trove of eclectic Indian art and artefacts collected by Choudhary’s family on their travels. The Colonel Saab staff are friendly, knowledgeable and smart, bringing the decadent surroundings to life, regaling us with the rich stories and histories of the recipes and gorgeous artwork.
Roop Choudhary has set a new benchmark in London, with the two restaurants continuing the family tradition of celebrating the vibrant and diverse culture of India’s food and history with delicious elegance and originality.
To discover more, visit: colonelsaab.co.uk
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All imagery courtesy of Colonel Saab Trafalgar Square.