Authentic taste of subcontinent

A TRULY sumptuous place. Near Marble Arch, this Indian restaurant combines delicious food and beautiful surroundings.
From the moment you go through the door you feel this is how it would be if you were in India. Antique wooden windows, hand made terracotta vases, a genuine ‘ghadra’ (a huge container to gather rain water), a pond with real pink and white lilies, and decorations.
You can relax at the cosy bar which sits 35 and enjoy drinks and the spicy nuts and biscuits whilst going through the extensive menu.
Their adventurous cocktails include a non-alcoholic Energiser made of carrot, apple, orange and root ginger (£5.90) or the nango coco (coconut juice, mango, ginger cordial and fresh mint at £6.50) or the heat and dust (Angostura rum, passion fruit, vanilla and red chilli, £7.90).
When you are ready for dinner, you will be taken to your table by going up the imposing staircase.
It is like being in a palace with beautiful trees, plants and flowers.
The roasted garlic and pumpkin soup with fresh chives (£5.50) is delicious.
I like to have it with the pan-fried lacy red rice flour pancakes (£3.50).
To start the three of us shared: crispy fried whitebait served with a tangy tamarind dip (£8.90), shrimp dosa (rice flour crepes served with savoury shrimps stir-fried with aromatic spices and curry leaves, £7) and a grilled paneer kebab (tandoori-grilled cottage cheese with three marinades, £6).
For a main course we had the Magret de canard pulivaar (Barbary duck breast fillets served pink with a spicy tamarind sauce, £15), Hyderabadi biryani (leg of lamb marinated with dill, coriander and pomegranate seeds cooked with basmati rice in an earthenware pot with fried onions, saffron and quails eggs, £16.90) and pindi channa (chickpeas cooked Punjabi-style with garam masala and tinged with tamarind £11.90).
For a lazier approach to ordering your meal La Porte Des Indes offer a selection of their chef’s favourite starters, tandoori grill main courses, with vegetarian options and desserts. Two menus are on offer.
Highly recommended is their Sunday brunch from midday to 3.30pm. At £22 per person it gives you the most lavish assortment of a self-service buffer reminiscent of a food bazaar because of the colourful variety of dishes.
We enjoyed the Pinot Grigio, Villa Chiopris at £25 which is light and accompanies well the aromatic food. I spotted my favourite Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2001 at £76.
If you feel you would like to learn about Indian cooking then you may wish to buy their cookbook at £19 and then add to your knowledge by attending their cooking demonstration on the last Friday of the month (£22) where chef Mehernosh Mody will offer his expert advice.
A new lunch menu at £10 for two courses and £15 for three will start in 2006.
The souvenir shop is well stocked with a range of gifts but what caught my eye was the serving dish in the shape of a fish for £9 with a small one to match at £4.

La Porte des Indes
32 Bryanston Street, W1,
020 7224 0055