Londons Dining Couple Cinnamon Soho Review

One of the sunny days in London, Amen and I headed to Cinnamon Soho for dinner around 6pm. Cinnamon Soho is the more casual and chilled restaurant out of the three from celeb chef Vivek Singh, the others The Cinnamon Club and Cinnamon Kitchen are more exclusive and sophisticated. We’ve been to Cinnamon Kitchen in Bishopsgate a while ago, but we are yet to visit Cinnamon Club in Westminster. Cinnamon Soho is located on Kingly Street, nearby to Carnaby Street and just a short walk from Oxford Circus station. When you walk through the door you immediately get the impression that it’s a hip restaurant with the wooden tables close to each other and no tablecloths to be seen. Also, the staff are laid back, friendly and chatty.

What we ordered

We are seated at our table, and the first thing I go for is the cocktail menu (mocktail of course), I ordered the Raspberry cooler and Amen the Basil Lemonade. My drink was amazing, very light and refreshing, just what I needed on a hot day. Then we looked at the food menu and we just wanted to order everything because everything seemed delicious. We did try to contain ourselves but ultimately we ordered a fair bit – might be too much but we can handle it.

Review of the food

Starters

The Chana Masala humous with chilli garlic flatbread was delicious. The humous is a little bit spicy for those who are not a fan of hot dishes but the bread helps a little. But if youre like Amen and love spice then this is a perfect starter dish.

Amen had the Bangla-scotch eggs, which was his first scotch egg in almost a decade, and it was much better than he expected it to be.

The Papdi Chaat, which had Crisp wheat, tangy tamarind and chickpea vermicelli was one of my favourite dishes. Chaat’s are generally amazing but Cinnamon Soho does very well combining the perfect ingredients and making them tasty. Amen also loves them as he constantly eats my chaat, yes my chaat lol. I actually think he eats more of it than I do.

I never tried the Tandoori chicken malai tikka because it didn’t entice me. Amen wasn’t a huge fan either, so he only had a couple. It was his least favourite dish, as it was bland and dry.

Main dishes

Amen absolutely enjoyed the Kolkata spiced cod, with mustard and red onion. It was served first but he didn’t mind at all and devoured it quickly. He loved the flavours and was trying to see if he was able to replicate it at home. Amen also had the Double cooked Pork belly ‘Koorg’ style. He thought they were tender and full of flavour – both sweet and spicy.

I ordered the Chicken biryani, which came with a Burhani raita, everything about it was tasty. The chicken and rice were perfectly spiced but I also added the house black dal as chicken and rice can usually be dry. The combination worked well and by the end of it I was definitely full. But if you don’t want the dal it can easily be enjoyed without it. Amen loved the biryani, even though he doesn’t eat much rice and he is looking forward to his next biryani.

Take a look at the food gallery at the bottom of the page.

Verdict

Cinnamon Soho is a mix of traditional food with a modern twist. Everything we tried had a light, delicate yet aromatic taste to it and was presented beautifully. The restaurant does not disappoint on spice and flavour, so if you’re looking for a decent Indian restaurant that won’t break the bank then head to Cinnamon Soho. Perfect for dates and families as the restaurant has two floors, and if it’s a sunny day why not opt to eat outside.

Dress Code: casual
Cuisine: Indian
Amen Star Dish: Kolkata spiced cod
Shiima Star Dish: Papdi Chaat
Price: £30 each
Rating: 3.8 out of 5