Londonist indulged in a bit of a feast last night at newly opened Indian restaurant, Zeen. Located at 130 Drummond Street, NW1 2PA, Zeen is an impressive addition to a street already renowned for its curry houses. Open for a little over a month, Zeen’s founder Zeenat Harnal believes it is now time to “shout about” her restaurant. Indeed, as we discovered on our visit, there’s plenty of reasons to speak up about this chic (and most importantly!) delicious restaurant.
Highlights of our meal included soft shell crab cooked in garlic butter sauce and Gilafi Seekh kebabs (perhaps the best we’ve had in London - nice spice!) for starters. A Zeen Platter featuring butter chicken (yuuummy!), lamb pattice, aloo gobi mutter, Hyderabadi dal, pilau rice, baby nann, papad and chutney provided our palettes with a pleasant sampling of what Zeen offers. The Prawn Karwari (with a side of garlic rice) rocked our taste buds with its spiced coconut and tamarind sauce (tangy!). And the Duck Pepper Salt (duck breast with black pepper, ginger and celery served with butternut squah and parsnip mash and salad) has us hankering to return soon. All the while a bottle of crisp Sauvignon Blanc 3 Stone 2007 (Marlborough, New Zealand) easily accompanied our dishes. Generous helpings of warm gajar halwa (carrot pudding) with ice cream and a traditional falooda (rose flavoured Indian sundae with ice cream) ended our fab feast on a sweet note.
Honestly, we’d have been happy to dine on such flavoursome treats just about anywhere. But fortunately, Zeen’s attractive, comfortable and contemporary dining space added a stylish touch to our night out. Clean lines, modern furniture and a designer’s keen appreciation for the colour orange made for a lovely setting. Friendly, prompt service was much appreciated too!
All this and at a price you’d expect from any old bog standard curry house! Most starters cost £3.50 (with the soft shell crab being the most expensive at £5.95). Mains hover around £6-7 with the most expensive dishes coming in at under £12. There’s a special lunch buffet for £6.75 too. An affordable and more than decent wine list and cocktails for around four quid add up to a no brainer of a recommendation from us! For bookings and more information call 020 7387 0606 or visit www.toptable.co.uk/venues/restaurants/?id=10668.
