Roti Chai

Hidden in a mews just off Oxford Street, this two-pronged Indian outfit is still a boon for West End shoppers and local office workers – although we can’t help feeling that it’s starting to rest on its laurels. The ground-floor Street Kitchen is the place for a speedy lunchtime feed with its high-decibel canteen vibe, close-packed tables and a menu modelled on India’s urban ‘snack shacks’ – think pani puris, chicken lollipops, tikki wala buns and winter lamb porridge with toasted pao bread. Come the evening, punters prefer to book tables in the darker, sexier and (slightly) more formal basement Dining Room, which serves up a pricier line-up of dishes ranging from butter chicken and Keralan-style duck breast to koliwada fish ‘kari’.