When The Cinnamon Club first opened ten years ago, it was a bold move and the heat was most certainly on. It was London's first up-market Indian restaurant and bhaijis were binned in favour of a little je ne sais quoi. Located just around the corner from the House of Commons, the yes votes flooded in. In an area pretty much bereft of restaurants, The Cinnamon Club quickly won plaudits, as well as the honour of being the first Michelin-starred Indian restaurant and became known as the Westminster Canteen as politicians found it was the best way to curry favour with each other. It was a firm favourite with the New Labour powerbrokers (Gordon Brown, Cherie Blair). More recently Ed Balls has been spotted striding around.
The setting is unusual. Based in the Victorian Gothic-style building that for a century was the Old Westminster Library, it's elegant with high ceilings, wooden floors, wood panelling, all overlooked by an upstairs gallery displaying old books, but it does have the slight air of an institution.
On a Monday lunchtime in spring, the crowd is smartly besuited — but there's a sociable buzz. The tasting of Bombay street food starter was divine, especially the incey-wincey chickpea cakes and the delicately spiced coriander chutney. Since regional Indian food gives such huge importance to vegetables and pulses, it was disappointing not to find more vegetarian dishes on the menu. However, the meat and fish dishes are all based on highly-prized cuts (the most expensive dish is the fillet of Wagyu beef at £95). For mains, we went for hot and sweet king prawns with alleppey curry sauce (£23) and a tandoori chicken breast (£20). Chef Vivek Singh's cooking marries European sensibilities with traditional Indian food. The king prawns were opulent, perfectly cooked and there was a gentleness to the spicing that left an impression without overwhelming the flavour of the seafood itself. The tandoori chicken was sandalwood-smoked and delicately flavoured. Puddings, too, are ravishing.
The food is truly amazing and definitely some of the finest Indian cuisine. But it is somewhat pricey (this is where the Fire Brigades Union leader Andy Gilchrist and colleagues went on an £800 bender on the union credit-card back in 2003). There is a set lunch though at £22 for three courses, which is great value. The Cinnamon Club also scores highly in terms of the staff whom are all attentive and friendly, especially the sommelier who is excellent.
Hidden downstairs, there's a member's-only bar (but it doesn't seem to enforce this rule). The club is low-lit minimalism, the cocktail list is long and imaginative. If you're here for dinner, don't leave without trying the lassis, which are good, but nothing compared to the Cinnamon Bellinis and the Bollywood Bloody Marys, which are amazing (and available in the restaurant too).
Back upstairs, coffee is being downed and the crowd starts to drift back to offices or, in some cases, green leather benches. East meets Westminster indeed.
The Cinnamon Club, Old Westminster Library, Great Smith Street, London (020-7222 2555; cinnamonclub.com). As part of the ten year celebrations, the Cinnamon Club is offering the chance to win a ten-course dinner with wine for two people (visit cinnamonclub.com/html/anniversary.aspx).
