Cinnamon Bazaar

28 Maiden Lane

Covent Garden, London 

WC2E 7JS

When the Gourmet Girls were invited to try the newly-opened Indian restaurant Cinnamon Bazaar, I didn't have to venture far. In fact, I didn't do much 'venturing' at all. Cinnamon Bazaar is right next door to The Lady offices on Maiden Lane, which is quite the convenience!


Heading over to the restaurant on a quiet lunchtime, I was intrigued by the menu. In fact, my guest whom I shared lunch with had spent a bit of time working in India, so she had to explain what a few of the dishes were to me. Nevertheless, I opted to start our meal with tapioca chips and green chilli mayonnaise which were a wonderful blend of crisp, spice and flavour. The options were all very authentically Indian with contemporary twists.

For our main, I went with Lucknow style chicken biryani with burhani raita (rice). This also came with a pomegranate yoghurt sauce to counteract the spiciness, and we ordered a garlic naan as a side (you can't possibly have Indian food without naan bread). The chicken was cooked in a delicious mix of herbs and spices and came in a beautiful ceramic pot.

To drink, I tried the classic Bazaar Old Fashioned from the cocktail menu: coconut-washed Indian Scotch, coconut sugar and burnt cinnamon. Although a little strong for my taste, the sweet flavours added a nice contrast. The cocktails on the menu were created by Cinnamon Bazaar's Vivek Singh & award-winning mixologist Ryan Chetiyawardana, and are all original to the restaurant.


The restaurant is brimming with vibrant colours, copper surfaces, draping flags and plants. It certainly reflects colourful Indian culture. The ambiance is actually quite calming despite the liveliness of the décor (that may have been because we went on an early lunch, I'm sure I'd be singing a different tune on a Friday night!). I would definitely return to explore more options on the menu. The staff were also very hospitable, which made for an overall lovely experience.