Hello, it’s 2022. Maybe Chutney Mary hasn’t realised. Maybe it’s stuck in time, still in the era when it had premises in Chelsea rather than now in St James. But back in 2015, there was this thing called the… er, internet. Yes, Chutney Mary does have a website, but it has to be one of the most clunky your reviewer has seen for some time. It doesn’t even show the restaurant’s current menu. This disappointment represents an appropriate metaphor for a recent evening spent at the venue. Chutney Mary has much to do if it wants to stay relevant.
The evening began inauspiciously. The first member of staff whom I encountered looked like a rabbit in headlights and directed me to another. This person looked as if they would rather not be talking to me and almost started walking away as I approached. Rest assured, I had showered in the morning. When I informed them – eventually – that we had a reservation, I was shown to one of the worst tables in the venue, almost in the corridor near where the servers pass. Needless to say, I requested to move and after some discussion, a new, better table was secured.
Things could only get better from here. However, despite being a bit earlier than my two dining comrades, no one enquired whether I might like a drink other than water while waiting. At least I had time to observe the venue. Chutney Mary clearly must be doing something right since the restaurant was almost full despite being an early midweek night. Perhaps it trades on its reputation. The venue also seemed popular with large groups; perhaps a safe choice in fairly central London. Maybe it’s also the food. Despite the pain of the initial experience, almost everything we ate from the menu was superb. Our group of three shared a trio of starters followed by a similar number of mains. The venue showed innovation in its culinary approach. Take the humble samosa. Here (as pictured), it was stuffed with venison and made into an aesthetic pyramid shape. Fried artichoke hearts lightly coated with spices constituted the stand-out starter, both in terms of novelty and taste. In terms of the mains, the duck was an absolute success as was a side of greens, although both the chicken and lamb options did not quite come up to par.
Throughout, the same problem persisted. Service was fitful with long waits and a struggle to secure a second bottle of wine. Sure, everywhere in London is suffering from staff shortages, but when you have a swanky location and a bill that comes to at least £100/ head without trying too hard, Chutney Mary needs to do raise its game. If not, it may find itself in a pickle at best, or out of business at worst.