Rooburoo
our review
Chapel Market is not the most glamorous street in the area and illustrates the strange bipolar nature of the Angel – unemployable kids in hoodies from the council estates sharing the pavement with people living in zillion quid houses around the corner. It’s not Upper Street that’s for sure and if it was, then I doubt they could turn out such great food for the low price they do. It’s worth wading through the detritus left in the evening after the market has gone to get to Rooburoo’s unassuming front door, because inside it’s creamy bright, modern and atypical Asian.
Menus double as place mats, which is handy because it means anyone writing a review can pocket one and save themselves some note taking. Very little on the menu is familiar, although they do offer the dreaded chicken tikka masala for diners with conservative tastes. Papodums came swiftly, had been cooked in fresh oil and had a range of interesting pickles including beetroot. A good start but our actual mixed starters got mixed reviews. I liked the idea of the Momos; dumplings filled with turkey or asparagus plus ginger and spring onions. The filling was good, but the dumpling case was a little leathery as were the samosas. Both were probably victims of being made a bit too far in advance. The sheeskha kebabs were very good, as was the selection of bhajis and the little lamb chops with ginger and limejuice. All the dishes, though, could usefully have done with being served much hotter, they were merely warmed through.
Heat came with the roobuwrap of chicken chilli roomali. One bite and steam came out of my ears and I like a bit of chilli I do. Closer inspection revealed that inside the chicken filling, itself wrapped in a sort of paratha, were no less than five and a half whole raw chillies each with its seeds in. The missing half was on its way to my stomach. We trimmed the number down and put them back; the wraps were in fact really enjoyable once defused and you can also buy them at lunch as a takeaway snack.
Naga Murgh - chicken cooked with pickling spices and mooli - was excellent, as was the lamb pepper fry with its colourful whole peppers and a sauce served separately. With it came rice unnecessarily coloured orange and fried bitter gourd and red onion, which was crispy and very edible. I could eat a bowl as a TV snack, no problem. Crispy greens, five sorts in five spaces, had the crunch and flavour you only get from rapid and efficient stir-fry on demand, but a bowl of pulses in herbs was dry and not very interesting. The dessert of baked yoghurt and sugar was unexpectedly wonderful and we scraped the bowl clean.
There’s a load of dishes I’d go back to Rooburroo to try because this really is an ‘Indian’ that’s trying hard and succeeding in doing something different. They could probably trim the menu a bit, and watch the chilli content, but other than that full marks from me. Recommended.
Nick Harman - February 2008
your comments review this restaurant and win a bottle of champagne
I absolutely love this restaurant and go back as often as I can. The menu is so varied and unique that I have tried something different everytime I have been and have not been disappointed yet. I would recommend the sharing starter platters, sesame chicken, sweet naan, vegetable dumplings etc etc. Also a good restaurant for veggies. Service is pleasant but unobtrusive and when I went with 15 friends for my birthday, they threw in 2 bottles of champagne! Hard to find but well worth the trip. Good value for money too.
Comment on this reader review
Fi McNicoll - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating 
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Checked this out after seeing positive reviews in the Evening Standard's London's top eats article & we weren't disappointed. The menu was interesting to say the least, varied and well thought out. We ordered wraps and the veg platter to start, with sea bass which was exceptional. For mains we had a mixture of dishes including the seafood biriyani (astounding) and lamb pepper fry which was subtly spiced. The meal was relatively cheap for the quality, good all round!
Comment on this reader review
Rasiya Mo
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Friday, May 02, 2008
We went to Rooburoo on Friday night after an early movie. I'm sad to say that, overall, we were disappointed. Looking at other reviews, perhaps they were short-staffed that night, but they'd clearly taken in more customers than they should have. The food was indeed very good, but it was not hot, it was in fact barely warm. The service was also dismal. We had to ask twice for our drinks order, then it was slammed on the table. We sat over empty plates for around 15 minutes and again had to ask twice for the bill. I tried to think of a polite way to explain our decision, if asked, not to leave the included 12.5 percent service charge. It turned out I needn't have bothered. We ended up leaving the money on the table and walked out past three staff members, not one of whom acknowledged our existence with a quick "good night," "thank you," or "goodbye." Basic stuff really. We're not planning to return, which is sad considering the inventiveness and quality of the food.
Comment on this reader review
Overall rating 
Food 8 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 7
Sunday, October 28, 2007
We went recently, the service was very friendly. The food is different to the normal bland Indian you get elsewhere, unusual flavour combinations, but it works very well. Recommended.
Comment on this reader review
Adrian
Overall rating 
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Friday, September 21, 2007
I went on the offer and it was amazing value, we had so much more food than we could eat. Our starters of bahjis adn pancakes were delicious and the waiter was happy to have both options mixed so we could try everything.
Our mains we re great too, so I disagree with the person who said they were boring. My chicken tikka ooty tooty was ordered just for the name, but it was yum. It came on a plate with a small amount of sauce on the side and with a tasty sald with roasted vegetables in it. Our side dishes were also great, daal, saag and fruity naan.
Definitely would go back and recommend for a decent curry
Comment on this reader review
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 9
Friday, May 11, 2007
If you are after an explosion of Indian flavours you can probably get it at Rooburoo assuming you avoid the mains. Our starters, naan and dips were exactly what a friend and I were after. The mains however were the usual strips of fried meat & some spicy sauce (albeit homemade) – good but not desperately interesting.
Décor was pleasant and quite original and service was relatively non-intrusive (though we did have the “is everything ok/are you enjoying your meal?” question which I find particularly annoying.
We came on the £9 special offer, had a couple of non-alcoholic drinks + one desert and the bill came to total of £18 each which I thought was ok, but still not super cheap either. If you’re not using the offer stick to the smaller dishes instead of opting for a main and you’ll end up having a better meal for less…
Comment on this reader review
ginoT - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Felt compelled to write what a nice meal me and my freinds had at Rooburoo. I would recommend the lamb dopiaza- but steady with the sauce which is served seperately which really packs a hot punch! Service was very good. Have to say the £10 for a two course meal is a bargain! (As long as you order before 6:30- best to book in advance) Would definitely recommend.
Comment on this reader review
Kay Faiz
Overall rating 
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Monday, February 26, 2007
Stunning unique decor, and extremely innovative food. The spices work really well with the intriguing new concoctions - The momo's were fab, as was the malai tikka. I can heartily recommended Rooburoo, the decor is warm, and the food - fabulous.
Comment on this reader review
Alicia Dosanjh
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 10
Saturday, January 06, 2007
I also came across this restaurant by accident after a drinking session with 13 friends at nearby Anam (great cocktails!) We received a very warm welcome from attentive, polite serving staff. Decor was chilled, food delicious with a simple, inexpensive menu. I have been twice now and recommend the monkfish and peri peri king prawns. Very much liked the fact that when I asked for water, they immediately offered tap as well as the bottled stuff and did not pull a face when we decided not to order starters. Really hope this little place survives. It's a little hard to find but well worth the effort. 10/10
Comment on this reader review
Jo Tang
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
the quality of the food, especially the lamb and the sea bass was excellent...very indian without being overly indian, slight tastes of curry in the food I selected and was not over powered with the spice....
Spicy but not overly hot an unedible as in other indian restaurants..
The interior of itself is wonderfully light and interesting. Paintings on the wall and various photos depicting various indian activities and stars.
Although situated in Chapel Market road, on entering the restaurant, the sounds of the market and the bustle is immediately shut out and the calming ambience of the restaurant takes over...
I do recommend them...
Comment on this reader review
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
