Indian Durbar

Indian Durbar restaurant is in the ground floor of the Conrad Hotel and was relaunched in August 2025, serving specifically Punjabi food. The hotel executive chef was Mohammed Eliyaz, and the Indian Durbar head chef was Ramnik Singh. The dining room is very smart and has well-spaced tables. The name of the restaurant means the court of a ruler, or a public meeting place.

The wine list didn’t manage to list vintages but did have some pricy options. Don Perignon of a mystery vintage was 80,000 rupees (£660) for a wine that costs around £200 for a recent vintage in a shop in the UK, and Billecart Salmon Brut NV at 40,000 rupees (£330) compared to a retail price of £54. A Chateau Margaux of unknown vintage was an absurd 350,000 rupees (£2,887) for a wine that averages about £550 across vintages, and where the 2024 vintage is currently £307 in a shop. I drank Kingfisher beer, which was more reasonably priced at 450 rupees (£3.71) a bottle.  To be fair, wine taxes in India are high, and taxes in Karnataka state particularly so.

Popadoms arrived on a presentation tray, along with pickled onion chutney, mint chutney and an unusual mango chutney. These were fine. There was also an amuse bouche of a fried mixed vegetable pattie, which was pleasant if a touch bland (13/20). Paneer with rose petal dust had good texture but no obvious spices, so was very bland (12/20). Better was a plate of lamb chops, cooked oink and very tender, with a pleasing smoky hint from the charcoal grill, and a gently spiced marinade (14/20). Amritsar murgh choke chicken was notionally garnished with silver leaf according to the menu, though this was missing in action, which was no great loss as it seemed to me superfluous. This had quite tender chicken and a sauce based on chickpeas, with moderate spicing (13/20). 

Bhindi (okra) managed to avoid the sliminess that all too often affects such dishes (13/20). Methi fish used a fish called singhara (a type of catfish, the long-whiskered catfish). This was nicely cooked, with quite firm flesh, and a mildly spiced tomato and fenugreek sauce (13/20). Romali roti initially arrived stone cold, but when I asked for a replacement, the bread arrived hot and had good texture, as did a garlic naan (14/20). Kulfi was disappointing, as it lacked much flavour at all (12/20 is kind).

Service was very good, our waiter Dilip, who was studying catering, was very attentive and helpful. There was a recurring theme of dishes arriving somewhat at random, with the starters appearing many minutes apart. The main course elements did manage to be corralled together for delivery at the same time, but varied significantly in temperature. My chicken was warm but not hot, the fish was fairly hot but the garlic naan lukewarm. Our order was hardly complex, so I am surprised the kitchen could not manage to coordinate things better, as at the time we ate there were few other diners. The bill came to 11,446 rupees (£94) for two, so £47 per person. Overall, Indian Darbur felt a bit of a work in progress. The lamb chops were good and there were no culinary disasters, but the inability of the kitchen to deliver dishes together or at a consistent temperature was a little troubling.