Five minutes north of Euston station, Drummond Street is an unexpected slice of the subcontinent, dotted with Indian sweet emporiums and well-stocked grocers’ shops and restaurants, but with none of Brick Lane’s touts or tourists. Though Chutney’s tinted windows and plain exterior look less than promising, inside it’s far more inviting: a cosy, convivial dining room painted in rich reds and ochres.
The main draw is the all-vegetarian buffet, served every lunchtime and all day on Sunday: vats of saag aloo, delicately-spiced tofu curry and creamy lentil dahl jostle for space with own-made chutneys and chilli-spiked veg of every description, from chickpeas and red cabbage to gleaming baby aubergines. Save space for dessert; the sweetly sticky semolina pudding, fragrant with cinnamon and cardamom, was great on our last visit.