Dakhin

This review appears in the The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2009 – in the shops now or buy online.

Ascending the simple staircase, taking in the Eastern-influenced artwork, an exotic dining space with dark woods and tropical plants awaits those looking to try South Indian cuisine. Bhoona and tikka masala are off the menu here, dishes are created with minimum fuss, very little oil and no sign of artificial colourings. From the open plan kitchen, expect to find perhaps the most famous South Indian delicacy to reach our shores: the dosa–a thin crepe stuffed with a variety of meat or vegetable fillings which are rich in Indian spices and full of aromatic flavours, accompanied by a spicy, tamarind-infused vegetable stew and a wet, sticky coconut chutney that adds a little tingle at the finish. Coming from the South, coconut features heavily throughout the menu, which boasts an impressive array of seafood, meats and vegetarian options. Try erachi thenga varuval – a succulent lamb dish from the Kerela region cooked with lashings of fried coconut in a thick, spicy sauce which uses fenugreek to bring the sauce to life. From the small choice of accompaniments, pathram makes an interesting but filling choice, an assortment of different crepes and pancakes ranging from delicate wafer thin through to what looks(and tastes) like a thick scotch pancake flavoured with coconut.

• High point: Real home-style South Indian cooking
• Low point: Dishes can be hard to pronounce!