A few weeks ago Jack and I were walking up Wardour Street when we spotted what we thought to be a new restaurant. We admired the decor from afar and noticed the familiar name – Imli Street – sister restaurant of the Michelin starred Tamarind in Mayfair. We carried on walking, promising ourselves a future visit. A couple of weeks later we were back.

We started off with a Twisted GT – saffron gin, citrus twists, tonic water and lemonade and set upon deciding our dishes. The concept at Imli Street has been developed by Tamarind Collection’s multi-award winning Director of Cuisine, Alfred Prasad and all dishes are based on four distinct inspirations from the Indian street food arena: Coastal Shacks, Food Carts/ Dhaba’s, Railway Cuisine and Beyond Borders.

We chose one dish from each section, plus a side of Hyderabadi aubergine. Our favourite dishes were tandori paneer and a ground lamb with lettuce cups, a simple dish of spiced mince lamb and lettuce leaves to wrap the mince in.

We were full after dinner but our waiter insisted we try a dessert. I wasn’t so sure at the time but I’m so glad he persisted. It’s been a few weeks since we dined at Imli Street and I’m still thinking about the dessert – warm rice pudding with acai berries.

Imli Street is very Soho – perfect for a quick, delicious bite any night of the week. The cocktail list is different to anywhere else I’ve been and it’s worth the trip alone just for the desserts!

Imli Street
167-169 Wardour St
London
W1F 8WR
020 7287 4243