Life is sweet at Cinnamon

This review was first published in April 2001

So long-awaited is THE CINNAMON CLUB, Iqbal Wahhab's project designed to show that there can be a designer element to Indian food, that I hurried along to a preview meal, having been impressed by the cooking at Tabla in Docklands which Wahhab opened in the meantime.

The Cinnamon Club occupies the site of The Old Westminster Library in Great Smith Street, a fact wholly apparent in the conversion which has left shelves of books intact in the gallery above the lofty main dining area. This confers an agreeably clubby air on what is, in fact, a restaurant but perhaps makes the closing of another library less palatable. We tolerate banks becoming restaurants, but libraries? Apparently Wahhab successfully fought off competition from 300 other restaurant bidders, including the Conran Group. As you enter, where your library ticket might once have been stamped, you are given a ticket for your coat. Such are the times we live in.

Chef at The Cinnamon Club is Vivek Singh, latterly head chef at the stylish Rajvilas hotel in Jaipur. Also on board, apparently to help with presentation and doubtless alert the Michelin Guide to another ambitious Indian restaurant, is Eric Chavot, chef of The Capital hotel and proud possessor of two Michelin stars. Presentation is indeed a problem with Indian food but one way to avoid the bowls of brown gravy syndrome is to structure the menu round western style selfish, rather than shared eating.

Such an approach suits dishes such as the first courses of char-grilled sea bream with pomegranate extract (and seeds) and loin of rabbit with cottage cheese and dried fruit which lose their lustre when divvied up. The fish was delicious, the rabbit dish an alluring mosaic of flavours including an unexpected lick of hot mustard inside the pancake wrapping. Salad of asparagus tips, okra and sangri beans with spiced yoghurt seemed mimsy in comparison.

In two of the main courses we tried the forceful, somewhat harshly spiced, sauces seemed inappropriate with the delicacy of what was listed as turbot but seemed an altogether bonier species and chicken breast stuffed with spinach and apricot. The chicken part was lovely. Goan spiced duck featured slices of breast cooked rosy rare accompanied by a mound of spiced semolina which could easily put polenta in its place. From the desserts, steamed mango rice cake with wild berry sorbet was much coveted for its sorbet element. There was a similar reaction to the banana marmalade accompanying rather durable semolina and almond fritters.

We were eating from a limited menu and I must say I can't wait to return to try the full list.