I've been very lucky to visit London a few times for work recently. My best friend lives there, giving me a perfect opportunity to see her! I saw Buckingham palace, the South Bank center, walked along the river to the tower of London, and saw the crown jewels. We visited Fortnum & Mason's and bought the mandatory jubilee edition tea box! Tick, tick, tick - I even bought the tea towel to prove it.
We had several nice breakfasts and high tea's - I could happily get used to the variety of eateries that London has to offer. If it wasn't for the weather and the ridiculously inconvenient railway system (try moving from said best friends house to company hotel with a suitcase, when you need to transition from the overground to the underground, up and down several flights of stairs - haven't the people in London heard of escalators? Hong Kong is oh-so-convenient in comparison!).... anyway, if not for the gloomy weather and the trains, I could see the charm of living there.
So by the time I went to the Cinnamon Club, I was in work mode and enjoying the company of some great colleagues from the US and Belgium. We started with drinks in the underground of the club - it's cool, with classic drinks and a bit of a club vibe. I can't say I was blown over by the bar - it's nice and everything is in place, however we spent a long time waiting there while our booked table was being readied for us. The last patrons who were renting our dinner table before us weren't ready to move on! Our hostess got progressively more gruff as the wait wore on. . .
Finally we found ourselves in the restaurant - it's bright, with whites and woods, and a beautiful mezzanine level. It feels traditional, with crisp white tablecloths and high ceilings. The main dining hall bustles, and the chatter of patrons almost has a beer hall / bistro feel. Not your typical Indian restaurant decorations!
The service continued to be clumsy from that point. Waiters were formal and generally poised, but they were undermined by the double-ups in their offering. Wine was ordered and offered again. Mains placed in the wrong spaces. They were literally bumping into each other - halting in a stop-start dance of best intentions. Sorry - no cigar.
The food was nice. However at this point in time I can't recall what I ate... I remember that like the decore, the food wasn't your usual Indian curry. There were enough veggie options, and spices galore. I recall we had some desert too - something tooth-ache sweet!
I had a nice time at the Cinnamon Club - it's my first ever fine dining Indian experience, and it was very nice. It wasn't so overt and exaggerated as the usual Indian meal, and you can always count on Indian for tasty Vegetarian food! However the service undermined the whole deal for me.
Address:The Old Westminster Library, 30-32 Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3BU
PH: 020 7222 2555
Web: http://www.cinnamonclub.com/
We had several nice breakfasts and high tea's - I could happily get used to the variety of eateries that London has to offer. If it wasn't for the weather and the ridiculously inconvenient railway system (try moving from said best friends house to company hotel with a suitcase, when you need to transition from the overground to the underground, up and down several flights of stairs - haven't the people in London heard of escalators? Hong Kong is oh-so-convenient in comparison!).... anyway, if not for the gloomy weather and the trains, I could see the charm of living there.
So by the time I went to the Cinnamon Club, I was in work mode and enjoying the company of some great colleagues from the US and Belgium. We started with drinks in the underground of the club - it's cool, with classic drinks and a bit of a club vibe. I can't say I was blown over by the bar - it's nice and everything is in place, however we spent a long time waiting there while our booked table was being readied for us. The last patrons who were renting our dinner table before us weren't ready to move on! Our hostess got progressively more gruff as the wait wore on. . .
Finally we found ourselves in the restaurant - it's bright, with whites and woods, and a beautiful mezzanine level. It feels traditional, with crisp white tablecloths and high ceilings. The main dining hall bustles, and the chatter of patrons almost has a beer hall / bistro feel. Not your typical Indian restaurant decorations!
The service continued to be clumsy from that point. Waiters were formal and generally poised, but they were undermined by the double-ups in their offering. Wine was ordered and offered again. Mains placed in the wrong spaces. They were literally bumping into each other - halting in a stop-start dance of best intentions. Sorry - no cigar.
The food was nice. However at this point in time I can't recall what I ate... I remember that like the decore, the food wasn't your usual Indian curry. There were enough veggie options, and spices galore. I recall we had some desert too - something tooth-ache sweet!
I had a nice time at the Cinnamon Club - it's my first ever fine dining Indian experience, and it was very nice. It wasn't so overt and exaggerated as the usual Indian meal, and you can always count on Indian for tasty Vegetarian food! However the service undermined the whole deal for me.
Address:The Old Westminster Library, 30-32 Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3BU
PH: 020 7222 2555
Web: http://www.cinnamonclub.com/
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