Namaaste Kitchen

Indian Restaurant in Primrose Hill

9 / 10 from 2 reviews

Address
64 Parkway
Primrose Hill
London
NW1 7AH

Map

History

Telephone
020 7485 5977

Cuisine
Indian

Region
Primrose Hill

Nearest Station
Camden Town
0.14 miles

Website
http://www.namaastekitchen.co.uk

Opening Times

Monday	Open 12:00 - Closes 23:30
Tuesday	Open 12:00 - Closes 23:30
Wednesday	Open 12:00 - Closes 23:30
Thursday	Open 12:00 - Closes 23:30
Friday	Open 12:00 - Closes 23:30
Saturday	Open 12:00 - Closes 23:30
Sunday	Open 12:00 - Closes 23:30

Edit Restaurant Information

Restaurant Facilities

Big Screen TV

Disabled Facilities

Children Welcome

Credit Cards Accepted

Music Played

Private Area

Outdoor Area

Booking Advisable

The Newly acclaimed Namaaste Kitchen in the heart of London's buzzing Camden Town and Trendy Primrose Hill, is a stunning new discovery from Chef Patron Sabbir Karim of Salaam Namaste “The Bloomsbury Favourite” Evening Standard
Namaaste Kitchen is contemporay and amongst the finest and best Indian restaurant in London.

Where you can dine at the Chefs table and adore your meal expertly prepared behind the grill in our exclusive theatrical kitchen manifested by its kitchen teamʼs prowess both traditional and modern, and the three core methods of Indian and Pakistani grill cookery are central to the menu.

This “Critics Favourite" of ES Magazine-Fay Maschler, focuses on giving each diner an exceptional experience; in every aspect, from food to service to the feeling that they go away with. This is what makes Namaaste Kitchen so special

Namaaste Kitchen Picture Gallery

All In London Review

A good meal, beautifully presented

I was looking forward to visiting this critically-acclaimed grill and modern Indian restaurant in the heart of buzzing Camden (opposite The Earl of Camden) and Primrose Hill. Chef-Patron Sabbir Karim has won awards and received many positive reviews in the press.

On arrival, I was surprised that it appeared to look like many other modern Indian restaurants – the type you might find on your High Street. However, the décor was definitely modern. It extended a long way back and I liked the embedded pebble blue lights in the walls.

The staff were efficient and not overly friendly. Whilst there were a few couples, the clientele was dominated by large groups. Not surprisingly for a Friday night, the place was full.

Things got off to a good start – poppadums arrived swiftly with generous helpings of a smoky tomato, smooth lime and chilli and sweet chutney relishes. My companion’s Kobra beer was welcome although my glass of white wine had a more substantial flavour than I was expecting.

On the way to the loos, I passed by the large open grill and tandoor oven where the chefs were busily working on some appetising ribs.

So we turned our attention to the menus. The main menu is extensive – and as well as regional and modern dishes, there is a section where you can find your usual curry shop favourites. I was interested to see lots of seafood options – crab, scallops and lobsters as well as sea bream dishes. My memories of Pakistan were evoked by some of the dishes from there (e.g. Lahori Tawa Lamb Chops £14.50).

We were advised that some of the most popular dishes included the Jingha Malabar (prawns and coconut - £14.95), Rajasti Laal Maas (spicy lamb - £13.50) and lamb shank (£13.95).

My companion choose Tandoori Aatish-e-Jingha – jumbo prawns marinated in mustard and yoghurt on roasted pineapple (£7.50). He enjoyed these huge prawns which were delicately cooked and spiced. Having mis-read the menu he had more prawns for his main course - Char-grill Jingha (£14.95) - with ginger, yoghurt, paprika, ground spices, dried mango and ajwain seeds. He enjoyed this too although he was a little surprised not to be given a finger bowl to clean up.

Meanwhile, I focused on the menu which focused on the Punjab. They change these regularly. I started with chicken lollipops with tangy tomato chutney (£6.95) which comprised three pieces coated in a thick, dark batter and with a foil grip. My main course of Murgh Kali Mirch (a chicken dish with tomato, onion, garlic, ginger and black pepper) was full of flavour and had just the right amount of heat and was probably the best dish of the meal.

I’m afraid that I had difficulty discerning the pulao rice (£3.95) from my companion’s lemon rice. The keema nan (£3.50) was also a little disappointing. The coconut ice cream and lemon sorbet desserts were good.

So overall it was a good meal that was beautifully presented and if I were in the area again I might return.

Reviewed by KimT
Published on Mar 16, 2015

Accomplished modern Indian cuisine

From the outside Namaaste Kitchen on Camden’s Parkway has always looked more like a cocktails-after-work kinda place than a gourmet eatery. Perhaps it’s because of the neon-lit bar and cream cushioned banquettes, which yell Woo Woo rather than Lahori lamb chops.

Rather than focus on one specific region, both Namaaste and sister restaurant Salaam Namaste in Bloomsbury offer modern dishes from all over India, the emphasis being on the grill and the tandoor oven. Booth seats have a view of the open grill, however we’re closer to the bar, from where we can see a silver mirrorball clashing with the brick walls and fireplace.

But what the décor may lack in elegance, the food makes up for. An amuse bouche of paani puri, puffed-up crispy bread stuffed with a single chickpea, comes with a shot of a cumin-based dressing that adds a little heat once drizzled over. The soft shell crab has been deep fried till crispy, served with a sweet fig and prune chutney and a complementary dab of hot mustard that smears the plate. The spiced chicken liver arrives spilling out of a hollowed apple; it’s coarse and crumbly, with a rich flavour redolent of coriander, tomato and chilli, it’s fantastic.

The monkfish tail is a meaty, firm hunk of fish that’s been seared while wrapped in lime leaves, and is now cloaked in a rich tomato sauce. The wild rabbit leg achari, a lesser known dish traditionally prepared during hunting trips, is robustly flavoured, as the rabbit has been marinating in spices and pickling herbs to produce tender, soft meat. A piquant aubergine compote comes on the side, and both mains come with naan or rice, so no need to order extra sides.

A very creamy mango kulfi with a drizzle of caramel is sweet and refreshing, however the rasmalai takes a bit more effort to like. The milk curds in the flavoured milk are spongy and not wholly lovable, and the milk needs perking up a bit with sugar and/or spice.

Wines start from £13, and despite the concise list there are decent bottles at around £25 (Gewürztraminer, Rioja Reserva). At the lower end of the scale we try the Musar Jeune Viognier (£21.50) which hails from the Lebanon, and turns out to be a bit acidic.

Namaaste’s highly accomplished modern Indian cuisine is great value, as a three course meal for two is around £70. And if that’s not enough to sway you, check out the cocktails and the discoball.

Reviewed by Leila
Published on Jul 18, 2012

User Reviews

Jones M

Feb 9, 2012

We went for the Diwali celebration menu, an 8-course extravaganza with fabulous wines chosen by Aleksic and Mortimer, who also sent Cyril as sommelier. The tastes were South Indian, but beautifully presented in a more modern style. The four starters were all seafood, except the stuffed portobello mushrooms, and my friend is a meat eater so had chicken as one of them. All wonderfully inventive and perfectly balanced flavour-wise. The staff were all charming, Sabir suggested gorgeous non-meat options for me and everything arrived with impeccable timing.
For the main course my friend had chicken, I believe the sauce was coconut, and I had soft shelled crab, perfect! The other options were seabass or beef. My friend is a habituee of very fancy restaurants and she was also wildly enthusiastic about the quality of the food. The wines couldn't have been more apt, and we learned a lot about the marrying of interesting tastes, and about the provenance of each grape.
There were some amazing cheeses, then a lemon sorbet pre-dessert, then a passion fruit cheesecake at the end.
The bill for all this magnificence was 95 quid, which included service. We were accompanied by live traditional Indian music, which was not too loud, and the deco is very cosy, modern-ish and softly lit. I live in Paris, so unfortunately won't be able to eat there as often as I'd like in future!

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