Jazz, Spice and Subtle Glamour at Kahani
Indian fine dining that hits every note.
Kahani
There’s something quietly magnetic about Kahani. Hidden just off Sloane Square, this modern Indian restaurant hums with understated confidence. You descend from street level into a warm, candlelit space where rich woods and jewel tones create a cocoon from the chaos above. There are no windows, yet the high ceilings and clever lighting keep it feeling open and elegant rather than enclosed.
Every Thursday night, Kahani comes alive to the soft rhythms of live jazz. On our visit, a singer, double bass, and keyboard filled the room with smooth, nostalgic melodies - the kind that lift a dinner from pleasant to memorable. It’s the kind of setting where you could just as easily settle in for a date as a long-overdue catch-up, the music wrapping around conversations rather than overpowering them.
The service was exactly what you want in a place like this: discreet but intuitive, friendly without overstepping. Plates appeared and disappeared with quiet precision, and our waiters’ warmth only added to the evening’s easy rhythm.
The à la carte menu looked tempting, but we decided to remove the decision-making entirely and were assured that the Jazz Menu was an ideal showcase of the kitchen’s style and creativity. It turned out to be exactly that, a carefully balanced journey through flavours and textures that felt both indulgent and precise.
It began with a lychee bellini - light, floral, and dangerously drinkable - before moving into a delicate swordfish in Bengali mustard, smoked cumin, and chives, served with a Kerala tapioca mash. The dish set the tone: refined, layered, and unmistakably Indian without falling into cliché.
Then came the star of the show: the Bhatti ka Murgh and Tandoori Peshawari lamb chops. The chicken, marinated in turmeric, ginger, and clove, was rich with warmth and depth, but it was the lamb that stole the night. Tender to the point of disbelief, it melted in the mouth, infused with fennel, star anise, and a whisper of plum chutney that tied everything together. It was one of those dishes you instinctively pause for, eyes closing, before saying, “that’s incredible.”
The main course followed in generous form - Mangalorean chicken curry bright with byadagi chilli, alongside Bhuna gosht, the lamb again stealing hearts with its silky sauce of ginger, dried lemon, and shallots. Sides of cumin pulao, cheese chilli naan, and yellow dal tadka completed the picture, offering comfort and texture in all the right places.
Dessert was a clever finish: a palm jaggery and coconut brûlée with pineapple sorbet and caramel glaze - a tropical, almost playful end to an otherwise grown-up meal.
Kahani’s Jazz Thursdays feel like a secret you want to share, but only with the right people. It’s refined but relaxed, polished without pretence, and proves that live music and fine dining can coexist without either losing their soul.
1 Wilbraham Place, SW3
