Cinnamon Kitchen, City of London

Bishopsgate is kind of dirty in a strange way, bustly and hustly especially on weekdays and even more so on hot, sticky evenings. Scratch the surface of this Liverpool Street locality, however, and navigate through the pebbled back streets to uncover a slightly more glamorous location: The Cinnamon Kitchen, in Devonshire Square.

Affectionately known as 'CK', this is one restaurant where the credit crunch is refused entry. Business is still going strong even on a Monday night. A good sign, eh? David Cameron can carry on with his budget cuts because the well-heeled crowds represent-ing the City of London aren’t involving themselves. They'd rather involve themselves with tucking into what the Cinnamon Kitchen does best: modern Indian grub delicately crafted together with North and South African influences. I don't blame them a jot for this!

I share their preference, as do the devotees of ultra trendy sister venue The Cinnamon Club who have been in attendance, in no small numbers, to indulge in both the culinary options and the drinkies served up in Anise. CK's dedicated cocktail bar.

Cinnamon Kitchen’s restaurant-cum-bar is set in an atrium amongst warehouse style buildings, and has impressive views of the Gherkin to offset the al fresco dining. The in-terior is equally entertaining to the eye: metallic furnishings, marble floors, warm Indian lamps and comfy leather chairs. The wooden terrace outside boasts more of the same, and as I sink into a chair, sampling yogurt cakes, lamb stuffed chillis and a green apple sorbet, the thought comes to mind that this is a good start to dinner.

Quite a few alternative, and almost strange sounding, dishes are up in the mix here. Examples being: Rajasthani roast red deer and guinea fowl with roasted garlic and chilli. I dare you to try them. This is what actually sets CK apart and, in a way, completes the experience (although I'll admit that personally I didn't like the idea of eating deer, I kept thinking about Bambi and wasn't quite able to hack it).

The wild african prawns, the French black leg chicken with morel korma sauce and the typical Indian favourite of Biyrani with chicken or lamb are are tasty options and are good for those with a less adventerous tongue. Is there even room for dessert I hear you shout? Well. yes I say, pointing in the direction of the Indian banana tarte tatin served with thandai ice cream. It's quite rich on the pallet but goes down nicely with a spicy Pinot Noir. On that note, the wine list is reasonably generous with imports also from Spain, France, Sicily and New Zealand.

A visit to the Cinnamon Kitchen goes well with a shopping trip to Brick Lane because the area is great for knick knacks, and completely immersed in the Asian culture which dominates this part of London. To top it all off, executive chef Vivek Singh is even on hand with master classes, kindly helping guests to bring their experiences home.

The service is also second to none. Friendly, bubbly staff both wait and entertain, creating a relaxed and friendly atmosphere for all concerned. What really sets the icing on the cake is that this restaurant is refreshingly free of sambucca shots, 80s hit parades, and boozed up lads and ladettes in suits (often prevalent in this area).

Cinnamon Kitchen is sophisticated, in an unpretentious way. Perfect for East End arty types, well behaved bankers, a catch-up with an old friend or even a intimate romantic liaison. It could almost be likened to a pearl in an oyster shell, tucked away behind the numerous frontline drinking holes. Until you turn the corner and enter, you don't actually know what you're getting, but it's definitely worth the investigation. . read more

Average (based on 1 votes): 1 Atmosphere: Value: Quality:

The following customer reviews are not endorsed by Fluid London and are simply those of users who wish to publish their independent experiences of Cinnamon Kitchen.

Anise is an excellent bar to bookend a wonderful dining experience at Cinnamon Kitchen. Their unique, spicy cocktails are faultless, as are the the well-trained and very polite staff who mix and serve them. The restaurant offers the same standard: great friendly, knowledgeable staff and excellent food. Highly recommended.