Quilon
our review
The city-eating team is divided into two camps. One half would happily exist on a diet of foie gras, animal bits and Merlot; while the other would gladly crawl over hot coals for a decent dosa. It was the latter that decided it was about time we tried Quilon - one of London's five Michelin starred Indian restaurants but the only one specialising in South Indian coastal cuisine. A quick look at Chowhound yielded rave reviews and the menu promised seafood, appams and thalis. We were sold.
Nestled beneath the Crowne Plaza hotel, the dining room has understandably taken on a breakfast-buffet air in spite of the jungle murals. It's comfortably low-key, without any of the Michelin pomposity you might expect, and the staff are a real joy. From the 'fruity' section of the extensive wine list, we chose a Sauvignon Blanc from the Grover Vineyards near Bangalore. The subtle fruitiness didn't disappoint and the crisp acidity worked well with the feast that followed. Lightly spiced pre-lunch 'Qojitos' and warm poppadoms with two excellent chutneys took the edge off the long wait between arrival and starters.
The mini masala dosa - a crisp cone made from rice and lentil batter - was filled with the traditional aromatic potatoes and served with hot sambhar made from lentils and a complex blend of roasted spices. It was tasty and adorable - a more refined version of the huge dosas served up across Southern India. Our other starter, a delicate fillet of tilapia, was sadly overwhelmed by its curry leaf crust. The ginger and tamarind chutney had been replaced by a blob of ginger puree which didn't bring much to the party.
Thankfully, all was forgiven when a glass of hot rasam arrived before our mains. We learnt to make this thin tomato and lentil soup at The Vegetarian Cookery School in Bath earlier this year but Quilon's version blew ours out of the water. It was intense, completely smooth (ideal for sipping) and warmed up with plenty of ginger and tamarind, like a Bloody Mary via Bangalore.
To put the kitchen to the test, we both ordered thalis. These are perfect if you want to taste a little bit of everything or, like us, you are just greedy. Both the 'Palm fringed' (vegetarian) and the 'Catamaran' (non-veg) thalis include fragrant pilau rice; creamy yoghurt made on-site and studded with pomegranate seeds; light, flaky parathas; and - joy of joys - appams. These are paper-thin rice-flour pancakes made fresh to order at a cooking station in the dining room - perfect for mopping up sauces.
Maybe we missed out by not ordering one of the seafood mains but it certainly didn't feel like it. The vegetable dishes were a triumph with the spicy channa masala and that flavoursome sambhar among the best of their kind. A dish of cauliflower and potatoes spiked with fenugreek and roasted spices was simple but delicious; spinach with fresh coconut and mustard seeds was fine; and the avial - a traditional South Indian dish of vegetables cooked with coconut - was mild but had an impressive depth of flavour. Across the table, a rich and fiery chicken dish was reluctantly shared while a perfectly cooked tilapia fillet was demolished in seconds. There wasn't a single disappointing dish and the small individual portions were a great way to see what the kitchen had to offer.
To our mutual surprise and shame, we couldn't manage dessert but were pleased to see to see authentic sweets like jackfruit pudding and the Goan specialities bibinca and dodhol on the menu.
But there is still some trouble in paradise. The flavours are spot on but it's all very polite, maybe a bit too refined. While Chef Sriram Aylur isn't shy with the spicing, his dishes (and his prices) are clearly aimed at diners unconcerned with authenticity. That said, the dining room was busy for a Monday lunchtime and the mixed crowd of business lunchers and hotel guests clearly had no complaints. The fixed priced lunch is great value at 22 pounds, so you can always try that before committing to the steep evening prices.
This is smart South Indian food your parents and your boss would love, but hungry brothers and boyfriends might be happier chewing on lamb chops at Tayyabs.
Click here to see the photos from this review on our blog.
KP - August 2009
your comments review this restaurant and win a bottle of champagne
Delicious seafood dishes, seared scallops and the black cod were divine. Loved the okra crisps and lime rice and almost finished the pickles on the table. Ordered everything in half portions but we were still too full to try the desserts. Will go there again.
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evrim - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating 
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 9
Monday, April 13, 2009
I can't believe this restaurant is a part of Taj group (India). Apart from the interior ambience and decor everything is pathetic about this restaurant. Waiters understood nothing about what our taste buds were longing to eat even after clearly explaining.
They carry an attitude with them. And most of all, they appeared to be interested in only in serving the local regular customers of the restaurant on a crowded Saturday evening. I wouldn't recommend a visit to this place if you are passionate about food. The food served was mediocre, pricey and came in very small portions. The restaurant is not good for a food lover except fact that they are few 100 yards away from Buckingham palace and some b-grade celebrities often frequent here!
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J Nair
Overall rating 
Food 1 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 1
Friday, March 20, 2009
Went to Quilon as part of London Restaurant week with 4 friends. The venue was lovely however the staff were not as warm and welcoming as I would have expected (in fact, could not be described as either warm or welcoming).
The food was average, we were expecting much more. Some of the portions were a little credit crunch-esk (1/2 a paratha each!) and I was overall underwhelmed.
I wouldn’t recommend a visit as the food really doesn’t stand out nor does the service. They had a good wine list but I had to try to catch the attention of the waiter to order.
Was expecting much more from Quilon, especially given Michelin's recognition of the restaurant.
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Overall rating 
Food 4 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 4
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
We had our office unit-party arranged here for 15 people. Though they initially messed up with the booking, the table arrangement wines etc were done promptly in time. Food was disappointing to most of us mainly because Keralan cooking and food is different from rest of Indian. You must know what ingredients and cooking style of specific dishes tastes like though the menu explains the same very briefly. Bearers did not do the job well I guess. Decor and ambience of the restaurant is very good. As other commented already, the menu indeed is very expensive.
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L Peterson - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating 
Food 4 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 3
Friday, February 20, 2009
Enjoyed it. All produce was fresh and the service was attentive and unhurried. Not showstopping, but we just went for an informal Friday supper so fine. Handy to have such a restaurant just round the corner.
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Nick Lambert
Overall rating 
Food 7 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Absolutely loved this place! My husband and I had the pleasure of dining here on Valentines Day. There was a set menu of 4 courses plus a glass of champagne for £45. We were both really impressed wiith the quality and flavour of food - even the dips served with the poppadoms were absolutely delicious, so we were really looking forward to the rest of our meal and were not disappointed. I am vegetarian and was served some really delicious starters and mains - my husband's meat dishes also looked fantastic (esp. the chicken in pistachio sauce!) and he said they tasted great. We also spoke to the chef and told him how delicious we thought his food was and he was a really pleasant man. The dessert too was delicious! I thought the service was just right too. All in all a perfect meal - we will definitely be going to this restaurant again and would recommend it - although because of the prices, I think it is more a place for special occasions.
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Punita
Overall rating 
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Friday, February 15, 2008
This restaurant is something special!
The chef is a renowned chef who now has sold some recipes to Waitrose to mass produce under the 'Quilon' brand - whether this is a good thing or bad thing is yet to be decided.
I have been there on many an occasion ranging from Mothers' Day to my own 21st Birthday in April. The service is fantastic, though it has been better in the past. We have been going to this restaurant as a family since 2002, and I will admit that it has gone slightly downhill in recent times. The staff are increasingly becoming Eastern European who need to be trained a bit better, especially when recommending menu choices.
If you're expecting or wanting your standard 'High Street' curry - you need to go to a different restaurant... this is something very different with an Anglicised-South Indian twist. It is heavily coconut-based, so if you're not a fan of coconuts, this is not the place for you. But the starters are fantastic, and good portions (ask the Head Waiter for a 'sampling platter' - a selection that is off the menu). Main courses are slightly bland, but that can be adapted to your tastes upon ordering - the great thing about this place is that they all do things according to your wants and needs. They will make your sundries FRESH infront of you - your naans and appams are made next to you while you watch. Their desserts are to die for (I recommend their ice cream or jackfruit dessert). Do not leave without trying a mango lassi or freshly prepared juices.
This place is expensive - no doubt about it. But with the friendly staff, awesome recipes, nice ambience - it is an evening that everyone will enjoy.
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Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Monday, December 03, 2007
This is a restaurant with nothing special about the food (Kerala sea food) they claim to make. Though the restaurant does look very impressive in its presentation and decor, we were totaly disappointed later after this initial wow factor.
We were 8 people together and we booked well in advance of 2 weeks but we were given a corner space with literally no space to move in and out. We requested alternate seating space, but there was nothing available.
The food was horrible and the service was totally disappointing. We had to wait and wave our hands to bring someones attention as it was a Thursday night and their business was running at peak.
When the food was served, there were only a few dishes (starters) that tasted good rest all were mediocre Bangladeshi type food that one would fine in any high street Indian restaurant. The waiters could have been trained in a better way to explain about the menu selection.
In the end, we just had a night out but nothing to remember or feel special about this restuarant except the bill which came to around 430. Sure there are much better places out there.
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J Rosswood
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 3
Saturday, May 05, 2007
We were still feeling famished after a 2 course meal which averaged about £45 per head (excluding alchohol)
The quantity is so very less, but tasted good -could have been better had it been cooked with less oil.
Not recommend to anyone who cares for value for money , as others already suggested.
Overall, I recommended this hotel for those classy occasions for those rich investment bankers around the corner.
For someone else, I don't see a point unless you are dying to impress your first date.
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J Colllingly
Overall rating 
Food 6 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 2
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Ambience, interior decor and service is good, but no value for money and less choices in the menu. I'm from Kerala so went there with lot of hope to have some great home type food while I was on a business trip in London last month. I expected the food to be expensive (reading reviews), and yes they are expensive to the UK standards, but unfortunately none of the dishes we tried tasted authentic Kerala food and failed to meet our expectations.
I think its not worth paying the price for ambience and service knowing what Kerala food tastes like. Everything is pretty much altered to cater the crowd settled in west. I would have recommened something else had I tried some other Kerala restaurants in London
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mmMenon
Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 3
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Countdown to burger o'clock. What's everyone else eating tonight?
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