Whether you cook your own Indian food at home, or you prefer to dine out at your local curry house, nothing comes close to dining at Colonel Saab.
Indian cuisine at Colonel Saab is one of those rare finds that you want to share with the world, but you also don’t want to share because you need it to be all yours.
Everything from the food and the décor to the family history behind the brand is unique. This London restaurant is only just over 1 year old and has received numerous food awards already.
We met lots of wonderful front of house staff, including Nabendu Acharjee one of the Assistant General Managers. Nabendu took us on a tour of the restaurant including the bar area, private dining rooms, and the chef’s hatch, where the magic happens!
The restaurant Colonel Saab is run by Director Roop Partap Choudhary, the son of Army Officer Colonel Manbeer and his mother Mrs Binny Choudhary. In Urdu Saab means Sir and Memsaab means wife of a high ranked officer. Therefore, Colonel Saab the restaurant was inspired by both of Roop’s parents, Colonel Saab and Memsaab.
Colonel Saab History
There are nods to Roop’s family background throughout the restaurant with large portraits of Colonel Saab and Memsaab. Equally, Roop’s Aunts and relatives offered family carpets and rugs, which adorn the walls of the restaurant. Family photographs, personal ornaments, and even private art pieces have been transported from India to London to take pride of place at Colonel Saab. Furthermore, the chandeliers in the restaurant have a wonderful back-story. Two were made in the town of Firozabad in India, and the rest have been lovingly replicated to match the originals. In addition, you’d be hard pressed to find which the original two are, as they are all exquisitely made.
This restaurant is located in the heart of London, just a short walk from Covent Garden and Soho. Colonel Saab can be found in the former Holborn Town Hall listed building, and is just a stones throw from Holborn tube station.
Now we must move onto the food, because it is the stuff that dreams are made of. Imagine being in the hustle and bustle of India, maybe Delhi or Mumbai, and you order some delicious Indian street food. Well this, and so much more is what you’ll get at Colonel Saab.
Sensational Indian Cuisine at Colonel Saab
Firstly, the starters were outstanding as they mix Indian favourites with contemporary flavours to offer something quite divine. Secondly, main dishes are mouth-wateringly good and incorporate everything associated with great Indian food. Thirdly, the quality of produce, attention to detail, and service that guests receive are all second to none at Colonel Saab.
We shared various starters and main courses for our table of three whilst at the restaurant. Starters included Mall Road’s Dahi Sev Puri (£7.95), a speciality puri with sweet and tangy sauce, and Noor Mahal Chicken Tikka (£17.95), served with dip and lime. Furthermore, the Puri was a delicate dish, four little puri cups filled with sauce and served on spicy Indian mix. This is a well-known street food favourite in and around Delhi. The Chicken Tikka was served hot and flavoursome with a side of mild green herb dip.
Mains consisted of Paneer Pakeezah (£19.95), Colonel Saab’s Butter Chicken (£19.95), and Sunday Lamb Curry (£25.95). We also ordered Butter Naan (£3.95), Garlic Naan (£4.50), Chips (for the child), and Steamed Basmati Rice (£5.95).
The Paneer Pakeezah was a dish made of cottage cheese in royal creamy sauce, sliver leaf, and green cress. Butter Chicken was served in a rich velvety tomato and cashew gravy, and the Sunday Lamb was a home-style Indian curry.
Moreover, the Paneer Pakeezah was the prettiest of dishes, with its prominent silver leaf; and the cheese itself was cooked to perfection. In contrast, the spicy lamb was a hearty dish, which the naan breads sunk deeply into before melting in the mouth. Finally, the simplest of curries was the Butter Chicken, yet the flavours were so good it left you wanting more. Undeniably, all the dishes were truly divine.
Colonel Saab
We genuinely couldn’t eat dessert, as we were too full from all the outstanding food we had just eaten. But we would have ordered Malpua Waffles (£10.95) because, well; rose petals, berries, ice cream and pistachio slivers!
Lastly, will we return to Colonel Saab, without a doubt YES! Next time we will try the lunchtime offering as they serve either a 2-course Tiffin or Dosa, and we can’t wait to try these. Evidently, Colonel Saab could quite possibly be our favourite London restaurant of all time.
For more information visit Colonel Saab, Holborn Town Hall, 193 – 197 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7BD. Instagram: @colonelsaab Twitter: @Colonelsaabuk
Sensational Indian Cuisine at Colonel Saab –Words by Rachel McAlley
