Koyal

I have written previously about Koyal and its talented head chef Nand Kishor. On this latest visit, we tried some familiar dishes as well as one or two newer ones. 

Dahi puri (£9) was a lovely dish of crisp puris with sweet yoghurt, boiled potatoes, chickpeas and tangy chutneys. This had vibrant spices and an excellent balance of flavours, including sweet tamarind chutney (15/20). Koliwada fish (£10) consisted of deep-fried pieces of tilapia seasoned with garlic, curry leaves and garam masala, served with a mint and coriander chutney. The fish was crisp on the outside and tender inside, having nicely picked up the flavour of the garlic and spices. This was a very good dish with a pleasing kick of spice, the mint and coriander chutney offering a good balancing element (15/20). Black pepper stone bass tikka (£16.50) had a marinade of kasundi mustard, roasted garlic and black pepper, and was served with a tomato salsa. The fish was cooked very accurately and the flavour of the mustard worked particularly well with the bass (16/20).

Hara pyaaz, aloo and palak ke bhajiye (£8.50) is a well-established dish here. Unlike most versions of onion bhajia that we have all encountered at local Indian restaurants, the version here completely avoids any hint of greasiness or sogginess. Instead, the three bhajias, made with spinach, spring onion and potato, are crisp yet not too dry. They are packed with flavour, served with hari chutney, a tangy chutney made from fresh coriander, mint, green chillies, and lemon juice. This is a great example of a kitchen taking a familiar and humble dish and elevating it to a much higher level than seems possible (17/20). Chicken tikka (£13) had generous pieces of chicken breast, marinated with Greek yoghurt, Kashmiri chillies and garam masala, served with a mint and coriander chutney. The chicken was extremely tender, and enlivened nicely by the spices of the marinade (16/20).

Wild boar vindaloo (£19) is a take on the Goan dish pork vindaloo, but upgrades the flavour by using wild boar. Here the dish used shoulder of wild boar, cooked with toddy vinegar and Goan spices. This produced a dark, rich, brooding dish, the boar being very tender and the sourness of the vinegar cutting through the richness. This is a magnificent dish (17/20). Methi chicken (£16) combined fresh fenugreek leaves with chicken in a cashew nut masala. This is one of my favourite curries, and Koyal makes it as well as anyone. The spicing was lively, the chicken pieces tender and the fenugreek flavour really came through well (16/20).

Aloo gobi (£8.50) consisted of cauliflower, potatoes, onion, tomatoes, carom seeds and mango powder. The vegetables had excellent texture, retaining their distinct flavours while being enhanced nicely by the spices (16/20). Spinach and mushrooms (£8.50) combined fresh spinach, chestnut mushrooms, garlic and a little butter, with tremendous depth of spinach flavour (16/20). On the side, saffron rice was very good, and a plain naan was served piping hot and had good texture.

Service was very friendly, and the bill came to £78 each for more food than a sensible person would have ordered. Indeed, there was plenty of food left over to take away. The food at Koyal is simply superb. The vibrant spicing, the precise cooking and the careful balance of dishes set it apart from almost all Indian restaurants in London. Indeed, Koyal compares well to the best food that I have eaten in my twenty-four visits to India. Long may it continue. 

Further reviews: 14th Jul 2026 | 14th May 2026 | 08th Mar 2026 | 04th Dec 2025 | 10th Nov 2025 | 18th Sep 2025 | 12th Aug 2025 | 02nd Mar 2025 | 27th Dec 2024 | 06th Dec 2024 | 06th Oct 2024