The rain lashed out at us with force and as we scrambled into Chai Thali, almost soaked to the bone, we were pleased to have a warm shelter to call our own. The rain began to subside and we were shown to our seats in a booth at the furthest corner of the restaurant, where the waiters smiled upon us with genuine happiness in their eyes. Despite the time of night, Chai Thali was only half full, which is in part due to its hidden location away from Camden High Street, but nevertheless me and G were grateful for the tranquil silence that reached our ears.
The decor was surprisingly bright and vivid, with lime green and yellow walls, creating a stark contrast to the rich jewel tones of Indian restaurants that I was accustomed to but nevertheless it was a welcome change that I admired. Bearing resemblance to the vivid street art that I coveted in the pinnacle of East London -‘Shoreditch’-, it almost occurred to me that Camden’s growing street art and graffiti scene could have quite easily influenced the interior design of this North London Indian Street Food Restaurant. Voted Best Indian Restaurant by Resident Magazine 2017 and with a host of other accolades to its name, we had high expectations for Chai Thali and believe me, we were not disappointed. Food was glistening with aromatic spices and vivid in flavour, while drinks were by no means meager and laced with enough alcohol to keep us ‘merry’.
Camden Has A Bustling Street Art Scene With Vivid Murals, Making It The Perfect Place To Not Only Eat But Also Admire Street Art
The Starters
The Decor In Chai Thali Was Yellow And Green But I Was Still Admiring The Street Art Outside
The menu while ‘based on Indian Street Food’ was far better than the stalls I had seen in the nearby market. Citing three main influences- crowded streets in Old Delhi, the bustling metropolis of Mumbai and the glittering seashores of Kerala- as its main sources of inspiration, Chai Thali had steered away from the traditional Indo-British fare of ‘Tikka Masala’s and naan bread’ and instead had more original offerings like ‘Samosa Chaat’ and ‘Masala Wedges’ alongside house favourite mains like paneer makhni and Lamb Ki Chaampe. As a vegetarian, who had a meat eating guest, I was pleased to note that alongside traditional meat dishes like Saag Gosht (lamb marinated in Saag) there was a whole variety of vegetarian options including starters like Paani Poori ( wheat puffs filled with masala potatoes and served with sweet and sour tamarind shots).
Chai Thali Offers A Range Of Delicious Starters And Mains Including Jeera Aloo
To start we ordered the traditional ‘house poppadoms’ which were served with an array of chutneys including a ‘sweet mango’ , a cooling cucumber and mint raita that coated the poppadoms wonderfully, alongside a spicy mystery chutney, that had undertones of garam masala, chili and tomato. The chutneys were well flavoured, but it was the ‘real starters’ that truly whet our appetites. Wanting starters that were different to the ‘vegetable samosas’ we were used to ordering, we ordered starters that wouldn’t be seen amiss in Authentic Indian cuisine.
The ‘Bhaaji Pao Foundue was a welcome surprise; laced with undeniable flavour and served with extra spice as I had requested, inviting pieces of potato, green beans and croutons swam in a thick -but not cloying- spice sauce, while the masala wedges were the highlight of the night. Fried and tossed in chili masala, we bit into our wedges with pleasure, almost overcome with ecstasy. The skin of the wedges was crispy yet soft and the masala spice mix contrasted against the ‘softer starters’ of ‘Aloo Corn Tikka Chaat’ (potato and sweetcorn patties) and the Paapdi Chaat (crispy pastries with potato and chickpea) both of which were served with a generous helping of yogurt. But it was the chili paneer that had become a joint highlight with the masala wedges, although given my fondness for spice it was hardly a surprise.
Chili Paneer Is What I Would Call A Great Indian Starter!
For those who are new to Indian cuisine, paneer is at the core of many vegetarian dishes, as it is a fresh pressed cheese curd, with mild flavour, meaning that like quinoa -but far tastier- the humble paneer takes on the taste of the humble sauce that it procures. In this case the paneer -like the masala wedges- had been fried in chili masala and the end result was simply glorious. With the amount of spice that we had during our starters, it seemed only fair to tuck into our much milder ‘chaats’ ; although tinged with spice, the yogurt was cooling and proved a welcome respite to the spice of the other starters, while the pastries much to my delight were not coated in oil. Instead the samosa chaats were light, fluffy and had substantial samosa texture with the inclusion of fillings like sweetcorn and potato or potato and chickpea.
The Mains
As the starters had set the tone for the rest of the evening, although almost stuffed, we were determined to plough through our mains. Much to my dismay, my favourite Indian main of a ‘Chickpea and Potato Curry’ was no longer available on the menu, so this gave me a chance to try something new which happened to be ‘jeera aloo’, a potato dish cooked with cumin, paired with the classic Pualo Rice cooked in saffron and tumeric. Not being a fan of ‘dry curries’ I had asked for extra sauce, although when the jeera had arrived it did not have as much sauce as I would have liked but nevertheless was a delicious main meal, while G chose Bhai’s lamb, a Punjabi ‘spring’ lamb dish cooked in a spicy gravy sauce, which she said was tender and almost melted in her mouth, although the spice was a bit too intense for her palette.
The Pilau Rice Was The Perfect Addition To Compliment Our Starters And Mains
The starters was undoubtedly a stronger menu section than the mains, but nevertheless the mains were still well cooked, vivid in colour and beautifully presented like the other dishes we had been brought out. I would have probably changed my main to Paneer Makhini or Malaai Kofta (vegetable balls slow cooked in a creamy gravy) in hindsight, but the jeera aloo was still a great menu option for a vegetarian.
The Desserts
By this point we were ready to roll down the hill, we were so full but I was determined to sample one of the desserts to demonstrate the well rounded nature of Chai Thali’s menu. Indian ‘sweets’ often have a reputation for being ‘very sweet’ which in part is true for those who have tried Gulab Jamun (deep fried dough balls swimming in sugar syrup) but there are much more flavoursome options at Chali Thali, like the refreshing Kulfi (traditional Indian Ice Cream) or my favourite Rass Malaai (sugary white cream, or yellow-coloured (flattened) balls of chhana – cheese curd-soaked in malai and flavoured with cardamom). In this instance I settled for Mango Kulfi, which surprisingly was the best kulfi I had tasted, enriched with tropical mango flavour, while the balance between ‘creaminess’ and ‘juiciness’ was just right, creating the perfect dessert to end our beautiful night at Chai Thali. If I came again I would definitely try out the other desserts which had caught my eye which included the Gaajar Halwa (grated carrots slow cooked in sweet milk, served with vanilla ice cream and pistachios) and of course the infamous Mango Mousse Rass Malaai (Mango mousse flavoured with saffron & cardamom rass malaai served in a martini glass).
The Drinks
While I wasn’t keen on the alcoholic drink that I had sampled which was the ‘Incredible India’, I did fall in love with the pistachio lassi, which was almost as delicious as the mango lassi I would normally have with my Indian meal. The Incredible India was a gamble for me as I would normally choose a mojito but since I wanted to try something different I was intrigued by Incredible India’s Blue Curacao and fruit juice pairing. Made with Captain Morgan dark rum, Bacardi and Malibu, lychee, orange and pineapple juice were added to the cocktail mix, while coconut and pineapple garnish turned this cocktail into a summer drink. Despite its attractive ingredients I was not keen on the drink, although G’s Star Chaitini was much more to my taste with passionfruit liqueur and juice, Belvedere vodka and pineapple juice. However it was the Cardamom & Pistachio flavoured Lassi that won my heart. As someone who is somewhat of a connoisseur of ‘lassi’s’ I was pleased that it was not too thick, yet at the same time still had enough flavour to compliment the food. The pinch of cardamom laced with pistachio was rather delicious and whilst not as ‘sweet’ as a mango lassi, was a much better fit for the food that we had been munching on.
The Service
From the moment that we stepped into Chai Thali, to when we left, the service throughout our stay was impeccable. The manager welcomed us personally into the restaurant and even took the liberty of informing our waiters that I was a vegetarian. Not only were they kind and polite but the waiters and waitresses answered any questions that we had about the menu and even pointed out personal favourites that they thought we might like including the ‘masala wedges’ and the pistachio lassi, which they had got spot on.
Food Rating 8.5/10
Service 10/10
Would I Come Again?
I am already planning my next visit!
What Are Your Thoughts On Indian Street Food Restaurants Are You A Fan?
*Disclaimer
Please note me and G were invited as guests to have complimentary food and drinks at Chai Thali but all thoughts are my own and are not affected by complimentary services.
That sounds amazing. I fell in love with true Indian cuisine after visiting India a few years ago. Oh man I miss it so much. The way their food is flavored is out of this world. No one spice competes for attention. It seems like they all dance together all over your tongue. If ever I’m in London again I’ll be sure to reserve a whole evening just to visit Chai Thali
First of all, your pictures are stunning. They are making me quite hungry. Second of all, this place sounds amazing! I love Indian food but haven’t had really good food in a long time! I had never heard of this place before but i just moved to london so that might be why! i’ll defo give them a go!
I am loving the Indian food you enjoyed, the starter definitely has me wanting to visit this place too. What an incredible night
The foods look so delicious and fantastic story. I love also Indian foods and my hubby too. Looks like that you really enjoy the food and had a great time at this restaurant.
Oh wow this place looks awesome, the food looks great and the artwork is so interesting, its good that you can sit and enjoy your meal while pondering the artists thoughts behind the art work. Also great that the service was so good, that’s an important quality!
Yummy! Sounds and looks absolutely delicious. Indian food sure is excellently spiced and in there it also looks very tempting. I wish I can visit that place one day. 🙂
Wow! When the service is a 10/10 you know that you’ve struck gold! It sounds like an amazing place to eat, I love Indian food and sat here with my mouth watering! That chilli paneer looks amazing!
Definitely not a good idea to look at photos of food when you’re hungry, lol! These dishes all look sooo good!
Gosh! Everything looks mouth watering … I have not heard of this place but whenever I am there I will definitely check it out. I am gonna go order some Indian food locally for now … hahah
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This sounds so good. And looks it as well 🙂
I’m not that into the Indian food but this could be a worth to try out 🙂
I love Indian food. There is an Indian restaurant a few minutes away from our home and I am trying to convince my husband to have a date night there.
Those pictures are mouth watering Ana! Indian street food is my weakness! I can only live on them. They are very few Indian restaurants that has authentic street food. Chai Thali. That aloo corn chat sounds delicious
I am glad you enjoyed yourself! I’m in love with Indian street food!! I try not to blow all money at once when see some.
WOW! The colors in your images are amazing. I love how the city and the food and drinks all linked together in beautiful harmony! The food looks delicious!
This restaurant sounds absolutely amazing. Between your well-worded descriptions and your alluring photos, I am downright drooling over this post. I haven’t had quality Indian food in quite some time and you have inspired me to do a bit of taste testing around NYC for a new go-to spot. I will also be filing this place under “must try” next time I am in London!
The murals are so colorful and I can see why you were so drawn to them. The drink is pretty and matches the colorful artwork. I love that your review is so descriptive!
I love Indian food! And Chai Thali surely looks like a must-go-to place for good food. Also, love the eccentric artwork/decor!
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I haven’t had very much Indian food, but it always smells SO good! I want to be more adventurous with my eating this year!
I really love the presentation of the dishes, always important when the service is exceptional too.
The food at Chai Thali looks so good! I love Indian food but my kids do not really like it. I would like to visit by myself.
Ive always been wondering about indian cuisine, from its flavors and taste. Those pictures looked very delicious, the photos of the food are very inviting. I’ll definitely try indian cuisine this year for a change!
This place sounds so amazing. The decor is beautiful, love how bright it is. The food sounds so delicious, Indian food is my weakness and I am always looking for a nice Indian food place. I would surely love to visit Chai Thali, everything from starters, main dishes, and drinks, especially Pistachio lassi sounds wonderful.
You had me convinced with the name alone. Chilli Paneer is our go to dish so will certainly give it a try!
I love indian food, so will have to try here as it looks great
This really sounds so amazing … i just loved reading this entire post . And now i feel i should go to this restaurant and try this dishes out …
I love the sound of this place! Its great that the food is more authentic than typical Indian/British food and that they cater for vegetarians so well! The pistachio lassi sounds amazing and Ive never had an Indian fondue but it sounds great!
This all sounds so good! I have to admit my experience with indian food is somewhat limited but this makes me what to experiment a bit!
I am always on the look out for a different Indian restaurant and this is definitely is different enough.I like te fact that there were ample vegetarian options available as like you I too am a vegetarian. I am definitely going to check this place out in the future.
This all sounds so amazing and delicious! I love Indian restaurants (so delicious!) and would love to try this one! I need to see if they have many in my area I live in now. I’m craving this type of food now.
Looks so appealing
..I’ll love to experience this…..now i have to consciously look out for an Indian food spot
This looks and sounds delicious. I am s huge fan of Indian food so I know I would love it here.
I’ve heard so much about India and their delicious food. I’ll love to visit India some day!
Your visit to Chai Thali sounds great. The food looks delicious. I would love to try Paani Poori
Indian food is my favorite! I love all of the different spices and flavors.
My husband and I absolutely love Indian food. In fact, our next door neighbor is from India and an invitation to dinner at their house is a treasure indeed. It’s the funniest thing though, I’ve never met a person more adverse to smells than her (and Indian cooking can get smelly). So she cooks everything in the garage. I kid you not. Just before dinner is served she’ll say, “I made curry, here, let me get the crockpot from the garage” x
The food does look amazing there. Too bad they didn’t have your usual potato dish that you liked so much. But it’s great they had something else to go with it. Also, I love the fact that you said the food wasn’t too oily. Sometimes it gets too much to take when it is like that. And I am really curious about that Pistachio Lassi. That does sound like something I would love to taste.
Oh wow how good does the food at Chai Thali look! I have to admit I don’t think I’ve been to a restaurant quite like it before, but I need to change that.
YUM! This is making me very hungry.