There are so many tasty Indian restaurants within London but if you are looking for something that is near Westminster then I highly recommend Yaatra which is just a short walk from London Victoria.
Yaatra is set within a Grade II listed Edwardian Old Westminster Fire Station.
Modern Indian food is cooked by Executive Chef Amit Bagyal and his team.
Within Yaatra you can enjoy modern dishes such as Darjeeling momos, Coorg beef shukka, Khubani paneer tikka, Madurai seabass & clam kiri hodi, Nilgiri lamb rack with tempered potato salad & honey glazed carrot, Garhwal goat osso bucco with Himalayan spices, and so much more.
Yaatra also has an extensive wine list which has 103 labels to choose from.
I went along courtesy of @the.soho.girl of @sohoxpr @mysohotimes @mylondontimes for sending me to Yaatra.
Yaatra
Yaatra is a modern Indian restaurant which has recently been rebranded and reopened by Chef Amit Bagyal.
The restaurant used to be known as Mathura but now is under new ownership, and relaunched as Yaatra.
Set within a beautiful Grade II listed Old Westminster Fire Station, which dates back to 1906 Executive Chef Amit Bagyal, who previously worked for a Michelin-starred restaurant Benares and Kanishka, has now opened up his own restaurant Yaatra taking diners on a culinary voyage through India, blending unique cultures and cooking styles. He likes to experiment with different flavours, textures and spice levels. He combines traditional dishes and presents them with a Modern Flair.
Yaatra has several dining areas from the ground floor, basement, plus two private dining rooms. The restaurant can accommodate up to 180 guests at one time.
At Yaatra you can choose to dine from the a la Carte menu or a variety of fixed menus such as a fixed lunch menu, set 2/3 course theatre menu, or their tasting menu. They also have a great selection of dishes for vegetarian and vegans, plus they can cater for other dietary requirements.
Taste of India
From the moment me and my husband into Yaatra I knew that this Indian restaurant was going to be different and I was right.
Upon walking into Yaatra I was impressed by the stunning interiors. Some original industrial features are kept such as the white wall tiles of the fire station, and mixed with tapestries and jewel tones along with wooden tables and a few booths with red seats giving it that real Indian flair and elegancy.
Yaatra has a variety of menus to choose from such as the traditional a la Carte Menu to fixed set menus.
We chose to order from the fixed three course set menu to see just how much food I would get with a bargain menu. A three course set menu costs £34.50 and for two course menu costs just £29.50.
From the set menu I and my husband we chose a mix of seafood and meat dishes.
For starters we opted for the Tandoori Amritsari Prawn and Togarashi Roasted Scallop.
The Tandoori Amritsari Prawns was delicious. They were massive, succulent and coated in a delicious smoky hot spice marinade giving them that real spiciness. The mint chutney which was served with the prawns thankfully gave that light relieve to my tongue with a refreshing minty edge.
The Togarashi Roasted Scallop were huge, fresh, juicy and seared to perfection. The coconut butter and lemon podi which the scallops are coated within gave the sauce a very creamy and zesty.
For mains we opted for Masala Tawa Seabass and Charred Chicken Breast.
All main dishes come with a choice of rice. We chose saffron rice.
The Masala Tawa Seabass came with coconut & clam sauce with a cumin potato. The fish was so fresh and cooked so well, with the skin being crisp and the fish flaked away when slicing into it. The clams gave that extra salty hit and the sauce gave the whole dish though that extra wow factor with the creamy coconut flavour.
The Charred Chicken Breast came served within a tomato & fenugreek masala gravy. Firstly I have to add the chicken breast was massive the biggest piece of chicken breast I have ever seen served in a restaurant. It was cooked to perfection, so tender literally the chicken melted in the mouth. The sauce gave the chicken meat with every bite that extra sweet tanginess.
To accommodate our mains we had a few side dishes of a bowl of Bhangare Aubergine with Tamarind & Peanut which was lovely so soft and nutty in flavour. Also we had a side of Tempered Mustard Green which was very creamy.
Plus to accommodate our mains we were given a basket of assorted Indian Bread which consisted of naan bread and roti assortment each fluffy and moorish.
Finally for dessert I had the Carrot Halwa which came with cardamom ice-cream. It was a buttery crisp tart which was packed with finely cut carrot mix. Very unusual and certainly different to a carrot cake but it was surpringsly very delicious. Quite unusual to explain but you can certainly taste the carrot.
The other dessert was a Chocolate & Orange Mousse which came with chocolate soil and a serving of raspberry sorbet. The chocolate & orange mousse was very rich creamy and was infused with orange flavour, slightly a bit too much orange flavour for my liking but was nice. The sweet sharp raspberry sorbet helped take away the richness and helped refresh the palette.
To accompany our meal we enjoyed a bottle Yaatra house wine Domaine in Gascogny, which is semi dry rose made from Merlot and Tannat. The wine very refreshing with summer red fruit notes to it.
Watch as I cut and slice my way through the dishes
What takes your fancy from the dishes I had?
Verdict
For me Yaatra is one of the best Indian restaurants within London. The restaurant not only has history as based within a old fire station but has beautiful interiors, wonderful staff and the food cooked up by Chef Amit and his team is perfection.
So if you are looking for a great Indian meal be it for a romantic date night or a catch up with friends then I highly recommend Yaata.
Yaatra book now
Yaatra
Old Westminster Fire Station
4 Greycoat Place
London
SW1P 1SB
Modern Indian restaurant.
Thanks to @the.soho.girl of @sohoxpr @mysohotimes @mylondontimes for sending us along to Yaatra.
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