Name: India Dining
Address: 6 The Green, London, Warlingham, CR6 9NA, UK
Telephone: +44 (0) 1883 625 905
Rating: 8

Sleepy Warlingham in Surrey just about squeezes into the perimeter of Greater London, but it feels like a different world. While there are red buses in operation (going as far as Purley and Sanderstead by the way, so best not to get stranded here after 11pm or it’ll be a long winding way home), the village green, where most of the action is so to speak, is about the size of a generous wardrobe. Ok, it’s a bit bigger than that, but you get the picture. It’s home to two pubs, a Co-op, a Londis and little else. That is with the notable exception of India Dining, an upmarket restaurant serving modern Indian cuisine.

To begin there is an amuse bouche of potato cake sitting on a drizzle of tamarind sauce, and with a slick of cream over the top. It’s a good start.

Thick slices of paneer are infused with fenugreek and grilled kebab-style with chunks of pepper and onion. There’s a small mound of grated beetroot and a smear of mustard cuts through the rich cheese. A harmonious dish of swordfish tikka comes with a chunky, semi-sweet beetroot raita, and the warm smell of cumin rises up from the fish.

There’s a lovely champagne sorbet offered as a palate cleanser, which we follow with the fillet of beef (£26.50) cooked over charcoal. It’s moist, with a nice charred exterior, a red wine sauce with a slight kick, and humble mashed potato that’s given oomph with masala spices and coriander.

Lamb shank roasted masala-style (£13.95) is a bold hunk of meat still attached to the bone, which has a chilli poking out of the top. The lamb falls apart, and is cloaked in a sauce with onion, chillis and sesame, however the strong flavour of lamb isnt’t in the least overpowered by it.

Side dishes of sautéed spinach with garlic and onion, and okra (which remains crunchy) with tomato and red onions are very satisfying. We love the desserts too: buffalo milk kulfi, which has the look and feel of a supremely gooey crème caramel flecked with chopped pistachios, and gulab jamun, consisting of two very sweet dumplings with a syrupy centre, coated in rose water and served with vanilla ice cream.

There is a delectable Indian mojito too, refreshing but sweeter than usual, so sweet in fact it goes down dangerously well, and is made from an Indian rum called Deshi. We are told this is their most popular cocktail.

The restaurant is empty when we arrive but soon fills up, as this is clearly popular in the area. But there aren’t many other restaurants around here, I hear you say. True, but that’s not the point. Food is so good at India Dining that I wasn’t surprised to read it’s been voted the best restaurant in Surrey. If they relocated to London they would give many of the capital’s acclaimed Indian restaurants a run for their money. Indeed, owner Asad Khan worked at Cinnamon Club from its inception, and his team of chefs really know what they are doing. If you stray towards this patch of Surrey, or if you fancy a train ride south of London Bridge, this restaurant should definitely be on your list of places to visit.

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