Having heard mention of a good Indian restaurant in Camden which had won numerous awards for their food we decided that it might be a fabulous idea to pop over and visit after a fun day at ZSL London Zoo. I had been meaning to try out Namaaste Kitchen since I heard about them at a foodie event so was pleased to have finally arranged to go.
It took just over 10 minutes to walk to the restaurant from the zoo which wasn’t too bad as the girls were starting to become hungry after a lovely day running around admiring the different animals.
Namaaste Kitchen is a contemporary restaurant serving Indian and Pakistani cuisine. The menu is well balanced with a good mixture of meat and vegetarian dishes. In addition they also have a gluten free menu which has a great range of dishes. The restaurant has a modern look and was extremely clean, or at least it was before we got there. Children are not always the tidiest of eaters. Music played in the background but was not excessively loud so we could enjoy a conversation with all present at the table without the need to shout.
The four of us (me, my mum and 2 girls) arrived at opening time (17:30pm) so it was nice and quiet at the restaurant. It wasn’t long from the time we sat down for a mixed basket of papadums and a selection of chutneys to arrive at the table (mango, spicy mint and fresh tomato and spices).
We all hungrily dived in whilst studying the menu. After a few minutes the decision of what to order was made and the food was ordered. The staff were all extremely friendly and helpful and it wasn’t long until the children’s food arrived. There is a child’s menu available but I decided to stick with the basics that I knew the little ones would eat without wasting the food. The waiter had made a point of bringing the children’s food out to us as soon as possible so that they wouldn’t get too hungry and it wasn’t long until our starters arrived too.
Starters
Spicy Crab Cake with Mango Salsa
This was not only rich in flavour but also extremely meaty. It hadn’t been bulked up with cheap ingredients although I had expected a little potato to be dispersed in the mix to add to the texture and make it a little less dense. The mango salsa went really well with this adding sweetness and a little kick to the dish.
Calamari Stir Fried with Spicy Shrimp
This dish had a spicy kick but it was not excessively strong. The combination of spices, textures and flavours went well together and the calamari was soft not rubbery which was good. It was an unusual dish, not one I had expected to find at an Indian restaurant.
Main Courses
Tandoori Chicken in Sizzling Peri Peri Spices
This looked and tasted amazing. The flavour of the chicken with the spices was spot on and the chicken was perfectly cooked, still moist but cooked through. A dish I would not hesitate to order again! The sauce that accompanied the chicken packed a little heat and had a strong flavour similar to the Nandos medium heat sauce, an unusual accompanying sauce that wasn’t required in my opinion.
King Prawn Biryani
The combination of prawns and basmati rice cooked with spices and kewra essence served with Boondi pomegranate raita works fabulously well. The chunks of prawn were of a reasonable size and quantity and nice and juicy. There is a lovely blend of spices including cinnamon, cardamom and clove which combined with the raita made this my favourite of all the dishes. I could quite easily revisit for a portion of this and the Tandoori chicken. The raita was thick and creamy, the sweetness from the pomegranate added a different depth of flavour to the dish and was extremely moreish.
I couldn’t fault either of the two main dishes they were extremely well made in relation to the flavour and the cooking of each. I must admit after the starters I wasn’t sure what to expect, don’t get me wrong these were not bad although I would have tweaked them myself but the main dishes were of a totally different level and demonstrated why these guys have won so many awards for their food.
Attention has been paid to the presentation of the dishes as you can clearly see in my photos and each arrived at the table not only looking great but also nice and hot. None of the dishes were exceptionally greasy unlike some other Indian restaurants I have visited.
The portion sizes were very good and you were not left hungry. The prices reflected the portion sizes and are about right for eating out at a good Indian restaurant.
Whilst we were there a few more sit in dinners arrived as well as people popping in for take always indicating that this was a popular restaurant with locals, good to know for future reference.
Our rating 3.5-4/5
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I’ve passed this place in Camden loads but never thought about going in there as it doesn’t look too much from the outside. I really should learn to not judge places from their exterior x
If I hadn’t heard about this place from before to be honest I may not have gone in but I’m glad I did.
Oh wow this all looks absolutely delicious. I would love to try this.
I love Indian food, and the food looks amazing x
It does doesn’t it. I started feeling hungry when I was writing the post just thinking about the food.
I am glad you enjoyed your Namaaste experience and it is great that the food was not overly greasy and was made from high quality ingredients.
I do hate it when you get greasy food this was nothing like that.
Ohhh looks like a lovely place to eat out! The food looks delicious and I love the decor of the restaurant itself. The portion sizes do look decent! I like the fact you can order take out too! 🙂 Lovely post. xx
Everything looks amazing! I do love the interior. Very modern
The food was lovely, well worth visiting if your in the area.
Wow this all looks delicious
Good time by all
Have to look this place up next time
Can’t resist a crab fishcake especially with a mango sauce
They were rather good, I might have to try making my own version at some stage.
Sounds like a lovely place to go and eat. I love Indian food. The inside of the restaurant looks beautiful
It’s lovely in there and spotless!!!!
That looks like a fab Indian restaurant. We don’t have a good Indian near us. Too bad, because my husband loves Indian food 🙂
That’s such a shame. Why not pay this one a visit sometime.
I have probably walked past here on many occasions but have never been in. The food looks beautiful and as you say, so well presented x
Isn’t it pretty, it’s very appealing from the second you lay eyes on the food.
That places looks beautiful inside! and the food looks delicious! mmm spicy shrimp! 😀
I liked the decor, they have thought it through very well as it looks great.
You’ve made me hungry for an Indian now, I might have to make a curry tomorrow x
The food looks yum yum. Making me so hungry.
It’s delicious, I hope you get to try it soon.
I’d probably like this place a lot. Those dishes look delicious and that presentation is amazing!
You will it’s very nice and the staff are great too.
I love a good curry and this looks amazing!
It’s well presented and tastes great too.
Everything there looks great! I can almost smell it all through the screen too.
Haha Danni, I wish I could it was really nice food.
I love Indian food, I need to check this out when I’m next in nearby.
It’s worth a visit. Make sure you try the biryani it’s lovely.
I love Indian food so this is right up my street. Shane it’s so far away from where I live though x
It looks delicious I might have to pop down soon.
Enjoy Sam 😉
You cant beat a good Indian restaurant. I could live off curry for the rest of my life!
I do love a good curry.
Oh my goodness, it all looks so delicious. I love Indian food so this restaurant would totally be up my street. x
My girls are loving experimenting with different cuisines at the moment – Curries are just their thing. Would be lovely to get to experience Namaaste one day.
I go to Camden quite often and have been past here – next time I plan on popping in and sampling their menu for myself!
I absolutely love a good Indian. That bowl of poppadoms is calling my name!
I love Indian and I really like finding new places to try. Camden is not far from me so I’ll be adding this to my list of restaurants to try
Ohh this looks yummy! This looks like a great restaurant! X
oh wow this looks delicious. The calamari would definitely be a dish that I would order xxx
I love calamari when it’s made properly.
I love the sound of the tandoori chicken main, yum! I’m 2 days overdue so curry is high on my list!xx
Trust me once you try it you’ll be hooked.
I’m a huge fan of Indian food so I’ll have to check this one out.
Enjoy Laura, their food is lovely.
Soooooo want to visit, the food looks wonderful getting hungry just looking at the pics.
It’s really nice food, they cooked the chicken perfectly, not under or overdone but just right.
I love when restaurants put an effort in the menu and can cater to all. The food looks amazing, making me so hungry right now
It is good that they look at what dietary requirements customers might have.
The food looks lovelY!
I do love Indian.
oh that looks all so lovely
It really is nice good, wh not visit sometime.
This looks like such a good restaurant, unfortunately indian food doesn’t agree with me x
That’s such a shame but they do have mild dishes which may be better for your body to cope with x