Flora Indica restaurant review: a botanical journey through India
This regal blue restaurant is oozing with nostalgia of times past
Stepping into Flora Indica takes you on a time-travelling journey 162 years into the past.
Your visit transports you to the time Scottish explorers journeyed to India in search of the world’s most exotic plants. British botanists had originally planned to document all the plants India had to offer but upon discovering there were more than 70,000, they realised the task was bigger than they thought.
However, they didn’t leave empty handed. Armed with nothing but notebooks and pencils, the botanists drew detailed images of 7,000 distinct plants for more than two years and created the book the restaurant earned its name from: Flora Indica.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From the Scottish tweed material on the dining chairs to the artifacts on the walls, this regal blue restaurant is oozing with nostalgia of times past.
The eatery allows you to go on “a taste tour of India” right from your seat. For £44 per person, customers get to try a dish from each section of the menu and for £10 more, a glass of champagne will accompany the meal.
On our tour we journeyed first through the slow-braised short rib glazed with raan sauce and accompanied by turmeric hispi cabbage. The spices of the dish blended well together without fighting for dominance. The meat was tender, while the cabbage was well-seasoned enough that it could’ve been its own dish.
Our next stop was the slow-braised Suffolk lamb shoulder with rogan josh, a traditional Kashmiri dish. The combination of the tender meat with just a hint of citrus left us wanting to order another.
Along our journey we took stops with creamed spinach, artichoke, and prawn which were decent, but the spiced pulled duck cheela and the seviya chicken wings truly stood out. The duck came with coconut chutney and red amaranth, both of which added a flavorful kick and twang. It was also topped with a pound cake made of chickpea flower, which presented a nice balance. The chicken wings had a crisp outer layer and a moist tender centre.
There will be little room for dessert, but if you let that deter you, you will be missing out. We opted for the kulfi semi freddo with falooda noodles and clove-spiced chocolate sauce. The frozen dessert was truly mouthwatering – a cone-shaped chunk of ice cream with a fruit sauce oozing out of the middle and chocolate stripes dancing across it. To top it all off there was an edible flower atop the mountainous construction, a subtle nod to the flowers and spices that inspired those early botanists.
There are numerous botanical ingredients on display in the restaurant’s drinks list. The Chillitini, made with Ketel One vodka, Ancho Reyes, chilli liqueur, pomegranate juice, fig liqueur and citrus, complimented our dishes perfectly.
The basement of the restaurant is “the mind,” of the operation, manager Richard Kingue Kouta says.
“We’re travelling through time here. In the 18th century the only way to travel through India was through steam ship so this is our engine room, this is supposed to be the engine room of a steam ship.”
In this very engine room ,Kunal Nayyar from The Big Bang Theory dined and remarked that here he had the best Indian food he’d ever had outside of India.
Flora Indica isn’t just a curry house. It aims to offer non-traditional Indian dishes whose creation would not have been possible without the discoveries of the British botanists. More than just a meal, Flora Indica is an experience.
Flora Indica, 242 Old Brompton Rd, London, flora-indica.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'Sleaze baack!'
Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
By The Week Staff Published
-
Quiz of The Week: 20 - 26 April
Puzzles and Quizzes Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
By Rebecca Messina, The Week UK Published
-
Humza Yousaf clears the decks to battle no-confidence vote
Speed Read First minister is 'done', according to insider, but a single vote could change the balance
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Three Chimneys restaurant and The House Over-By review: Skye's sumptuous rural hideaway
The Week Recommends The award-winning restaurant with rooms is well worth battling the elements to reach
By Jamie Timson, The Week UK Published
-
The Westbury Hotel review: stunning suites in charming Dublin
The Week Recommends This hotel is the perfect spot to while away a weekend in Ireland's capital
By Kaye O'Doherty Published
-
Drama movies 2024: new films out this year
In Depth Latest reviews include The Boys in the Boat, One Life and Tchaikovsky's Wife
By The Week UK Last updated
-
Best new hotels and places to stay in 2024
The Week Recommends Featuring stylish island resorts, historical properties and wilderness retreats
By The Week UK Last updated
-
Albums of the year: best music of 2023
The Week Recommends A look back at the best pop, rap, jazz, dance, classical and rock releases
By The Week UK Published
-
Savoy Grill by Gordon Ramsay review: an institution reinvented
The Week Recommends Traditions are maintained and the tweaks are clever and modern
By Neil Davey Published
-
Tulum: a Mexican beach town of 'two halves'
The Week Recommends With the 'pueblo' and 'Zona Hotelera', Tulum is home to great hotels, restaurants and beach clubs
By William Leigh Published
-
La Zebra review: beach chic, perfect tacos and secret cenotes
The Week Recommends Enjoy a stylish stay in Mexico at this family-friendly beach hotel and restaurant
By William Leigh Published