South Indian Spice

While there is an astounding array of delightful Indian restaurants to choose from in the capital, there are few which have been granted the coveted Michelin star.

Quilon is one of these restaurants - and is in fact the only South Indian restaurant in the UK to have one - meaning that if all you fancy is a curry you'll get more than you bargained for in this upmarket eatery.

The non-fussy décor and relaxed atmosphere give little away about the exotic menu with influences from Malaysia and Japan as well as India. As we sipped on a coconut martini and non-alcoholic lassi we whet our taste buds for some of these delights.

Seafood takes over the starter menu with various fish and shellfish combinations outnumbering vegetarian options such as asparagus or the few chicken options and one lamb for carnivores. I went for some wonderful grilled scallops cooked in a delicious spiced coconut cream which were perfectly cooked and complimented by the spicy cream. My buddy went for a Kerala seafood broth which was also scrumptious with everything from lobster to prawn to cod swimming in the flavoursome soup.

Having eaten it in most of the best pan-Asian and Japanese restaurants in town the black cod is always a good benchmark to judge a restaurant by. Quilon's offering was well-cooked, subtly spiced and delicious and my only quibble would be that there was far too much of it.

Although the sheer variety of spiced seafood on the menu begs to be tasted my dining partner went for something a little more 'Indian' with a signature chicken masala which hit the much needed spot that only a good curry can hit. As a tasty take on a standard dish, the masala accompanied by some fluffy coconut rice and soft naan was a satisfying end to a varied and interesting meal.

For a choice of classic Indian with a twist as well as some sophisticated pan-Asian dishes Quilon stands out as a great dining choice.