Does London need yet another Indian restaurant? Well, if it’s as good as Pali Hill, then yes. Indian cuisine in the central part of town is a highly crowded and competitive market and so restaurants really need to be doing something either very good, very different, or ideally both in order to make a mark. When two comrades and I dined recently at Pali Hill on a midweek evening, we came away impressed.
Named after a district of Mumbai, the angle behind Pali Hill is about small sharing dishes from across the whole country served in an informal, but nonetheless sophisticated setting. The dining space is large and spread over two floors but is conceived intelligently. The open kitchen provides a natural focal point and the décor gives a distinct nod to India’s cultural heritage, with the colour scheme and wall decorations (think advertising boards and black & white photos) not a million miles away from that which can be found in the perennially successful Dishoom branches.
I like menus which are mercifully brief and not over-complicated, and Pali Hill delivered in this respect. Its list comprises five small plates, seven items from the tandoor/grill and eight larger plates along with a selection of sides. While chicken tikka and lamb biryani feature on the menu, it would be fair to say that these were exceptions rather than the rule; most of the dishes were novel to all our group and things that would not appear in your typical curry house. We ate widely from across the Pali Hill spread – sharing is encouraged – and it is hard to think of a single disappointment. To call out just one example of the restaurant’s ethos and technique, consider the Pondicherry fried squid served with crispy zucchini flowers (pictured), which comprised one of the opening dishes we enjoyed. Rarely have I eaten squid that was quite as succulent and non-greasy as that which Pali Hill served up. The addition of courgette was an absolute novelty, and an inspired one at that. A pairing to revisit. Other highlights included the Chettinad-style veal shin main and the coconut broad bean side. I cannot recall seeing broad beans feature on another Indian menu elsewhere. Plaudits too to our server. Not only were we not rushed at any stage of our experience (drinks outside and then dinner in), but he also gave some helpfully appropriate recommendations to one of my dining comrades who requested dishes only without chilli. At £60/head all-in (admittedly we drank beer rather than wine), Pali Hill is definitely a place where many a future evening will be spent.