The latest addition to London’s dining scene has picked up three restaurant awards in as many months.
RAAZ,located on the Lower Richmond Road in Putney, is a modern India establishment, which opened as recently as September.
But in less than six months it has now been named ‘Best Newcomer – Fine Dining’ at the Asian Food & Drink Awards [AFRA] recently held at the iconic Dilly Hotel in the West End in December.
It also received similar accolades from the Good Curry Guide (Best Newcomer London) and International Culinary Guides (Best Asian Newcomer – UK) at the end of last year.
The Lower Richmond Road venue, which has been wowing SW15’s foodies since it launched in the Autumn, brings a standard of south Asian cooking rarely encountered outside Mayfair’s highend Michelin-starred Indian restaurants.
The menu featuring classic chaat, modern small plates, tandoori grills and “punchy” curries will includes Cornish lamb chops with kadai mushrooms and quail egg, wild-garlic chicken chop with charred broccoli, and Malabar fish curry with wild sea bass.
The drinks menu offers Indian-accented cocktails of turmeric gin and tonic and jalapeno-guava margaritas, alongside a wine list that ranges from ‘accessible pours’ to ‘special occasion’ bottles.
Signature dishes include an overnight nihari rib – traditionally made with lamb, but “reimagined with beef, falling from the bone and finished with marrow”; Cornish lamb chop served with kadai mushrooms and a soft-yolk quail egg; wild garlic chicken is charred and paired with broccoli, or Malabar fish curry with seabass simmered in a coconut broth with a Keralan influence.
Vegetarian options feature Essex pumpkin stewed with southern spices in a coconut-rich moilee, while Malai broccoli comes with cauliflower purée and pickled onion in a dish that is as layered as any of the grills.
The classics that define Indian cooking at its most comforting and familiar: chicken tikka masala, prawn Chettinad, palak paneer and more. The balance at RAAZ is deliberate: food that feels both authentic and ambitious, never straying too far from the dishes diners love most.
A cocktails list includes turmeric gin and tonic arrives bright gold; a guava rani of chilli infused tequila infused in-house with chillies; a lychee royale with sparkling rosé, and a coastal old-fashioned of bourbon fat-washed with coconut and coffee, then stirred with a touch of maple.
“At Raaz, we invite guests to explore India’s rich culinary roots through a modern lens, refined, balanced, and bright with the kind of elevated, nuanced food you’d expect in Mayfair or Soho, right here in Putney,” said a RAAZ spokesman, “To receive one prestigious award is an incredible achievement for the team – to win three is truly incredible.”
The impressive interior features a long bar running through the centre of the restaurant, with stools for eating and drinking; a glass-roofed dining room; plus a small six-seat nook. A mix of heritage and modern touches makes the space feel both polished and relaxed, while a sharp sound system keeps the energy going well into the evening.
Attul Haq, AFRA’s CEO, said: “The British-Asian food and hospitality industry plays a significant role in the UK economy and contributes greatly to the country’s cultural and economic growth.”
Visit their website at https://www.raazlondon.com/
and check out our other recommended restaurants here
