Trishna
Marylebone, London
When dream-team siblings Karam and Sunaina Sethi opened Trishna in 2008, no one guessed that it was the start of something big; fast-forward 15 years, and the family’s JKS Restaurants portfolio now includes some of the hottest tickets in town (Gymkhana, Bao, Hoppers et al). Compared to some of its funkier new openings, this Marylebone original feels distinctly restrained with its whitewashed brickwork, Air India posters, bare café-style tables and jazzy soundtrack – although the food is defined by its assertive flavours and the sheer variety of its spicing (from ‘sweet and subtle to rich, complex and powerful’). The culinary focus is on India’s south-west coastal provinces – Cochin, Kerala and Mangalore – so expect plenty of fresh-tasting seafood in different regional guises. Trishna classics such as soft-shell crab enlivened with green chilli and tomato chutney, salmon tikka with samphire chaat or nariyal scallops (with vermicelli upma and hits of coconut) are joined by equally forthright meat and veggie options. Quail pepper fry is never off the menu, likewise duck seekh kebabs with pineapple chutney and Hyderabadi subzi kofta (dumpling balls of paneer, cashews and almonds gilded with saffron). All the add-ons are up to the mark, while desserts take an east/west trip from strawberry and fennel mousse to smoked mango and cardamom kheer (rice pudding). Service 'can be leisurely,' notes a fan, 'but it's always attentive, charming and helpful'. To match the food, sommelier/co-owner Sunaina Sethi has assembled an intelligent spice-tolerant wine list loaded with classy pairings and ample drinking by the glass or carafe. Otherwise, browse and sip your way through Trishna’s heady ‘tea library’.
Dining Information:
Private dining room, Credit card required
15-17 Blandford Street, Marylebone W1U 3DG
020 7935 5624
