Tucked behind a modest façade near Sloane Square, Kahani blends into the quiet elegance of its surroundings – easy to miss if you’re not looking. But step inside this unassuming restaurant, and the exterior gives way to something more deliberate: a space where authentic Indian flavours are reimagined with a traditional British twist.
Chef Peter Joseph, who led the kitchen at Tamarind when it was awarded its first Michelin star, blends his roots with a modern, thoughtfully curated approach to Indian cooking. Joseph’s menu doesn’t try to reinvent Indian food but rather refine it using seasonal British produce to craft a story that’s uniquely its own.
And that feels fitting; Kahani translates to ‘story’ in Hindi. This one just happens to be told through food.
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Interiors
Inside, Kahani reveals itself with understated glamour – deep blue velvet chairs, gold-lacquered tables and crystal chandeliers. Designed by London-based Kai Interiors, the space combines rich tones with metallic touches. A private dining room sits just out of view, often booked out for Diwali, Eid and celebratory dinners.
The mostly halal menu has made Kahani a favourite among London’s Arab diners, but its appeal is broader thanks to vegetarian-only menus, vegan options and a commitment to using local produce.
Here, the atmosphere is as much a part of the story as the food: comforting and nuanced.
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Dining
The kitchen at Kahani walks a fine line between tradition and innovation, spice and subtlety, comfort and surprise. Dishes rely heavily on seasonal British ingredients, but they’re filtered through the prism of Indian cooking techniques.
Our meal begins with the restaurant’s signature kumquat salad. Delightfully tart, the sour fruit is paired with plums, Granny Smith apples and salad leaves dressed in a red pepper and pine nut vinaigrette. This is followed by the server’s recommendations of the black Chettinad chicken scented with freshly ground spices and curry leaves, presented alongside a buttery peanut chutney; the tandoori broccoli crusted with nigella seeds atop a yoghurt bed; and the smoked Malabar prawns delicately cooked in coconut milk and curry leaves.
The standout dish (and one of the restaurant’s most requested) is the lobster curry: tail meat bathed in a rich sauce of shallots, browned garlic, star anise, fennel and cumin. Served alongside fluffy garlic naan and a warmly spiced lamb biryani, the flavours are fragrant and complex.
Dessert is often where most Indian restaurants stumble. That’s not the case at Kahani where the dessert menu reads like a love letter to fusion cuisine: gulab jamun, a traditional Indian sweet dough soaked in a cardamom and rose water syrup, crusted within a cheesecake and a carrot halwa tiramisu, grated carrots cooked in cardamom, cinnamon and brown sugar with a coffee-soaked sponge.
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We find ourselves torn between various options, drawn in particular by the intriguing ice cream accompaniments. Noticing our indecision, the server recommends his favourite dessert of a prune and ginger toffee pudding with a pumpkin and cranberry ice cream. To our delight, he also presents additional ice cream flavours, allowing us to satisfy both our curiosity and sweet tooth. A favourite is the refreshing mango-basil sorbet, a perfect end to a richly-spiced meal.
For those eager to experience the full range, the tasting menu offers a guided tour of the kitchen’s highlights for around £80 per person. Vegetarian diners are given equal consideration, with a dedicated menu that goes well beyond the usual hurried afterthought.
Service
It’s not just the kitchen that tells stories at Kahani but the staff do, too. Our server offers gentle guidance throughout the meal, suggesting what might suit our preferences rather than simply taking an order. His suggestions are spot-on. It isn’t just attentiveness as much as it feels like authorship – and the sense that each guest’s experience is being shaped with intention.
The same sense of care extends to the atmosphere itself. From Thursday to Sunday, the restaurant hosts a jazz band playing live music to guests in a setting that feels intimate and lively.
Verdict
While Indian restaurants are plentiful in London, Kahani offers a distinct experience, one that is rich in flavour and full of character.
If Kahani means ‘story’, then this restaurant is an undeniable page-turner.
More information
- Address: 1 Wilbraham Place, London SW1X 9AE
- Email for reservations: reservations@kahanilondon.com
- Website: Kahani Restaurant Sloane Square
