Londoners can afford to be greedy and picky. The sheer diversity of food on offer here is overwhelming- and probably explains why basically everyone who lives here is a foodie. So when we heard about Lanes of London, a haven for those wanting to travel the world via their taste buds, we made a reservation and hotfooted it down there.
We started the evening with a couple of cocktails in the intimate, very classical bar area. The restaurant is actually based on the ground floor of the Marriot Hotel on the very prestigious Park Lane, but the sophisticated hotel bar vibe is totally welcome. We opted for the Market Mule and the Hung Que Sour, a whiskey lover’s dream. Both were delicious and very, very strong.
Once seated at our table, we admired the timeless décor of the restaurant area while a friendly waitress guided us through the menu concept. The menu is divided into the various ‘Lanes’ in the city that specialise in specific global cuisine, hence the Indian food-themed Brick Lane section and the delicious Lebanese offerings within the Edgware Road section. Ordering was a gluttonous dream come true. We cherry-picked Indian to begin with, followed by traditional London fare and a side of Lebanese, just because we could.
The paneer pakora and samosa chat got us off to a very good start. Both were super fresh and the paneer pakora was served with coriander and mint chutney, which was out of this world. Next, we gorged on beef brisket sliders with roasted bone marrow and horseradish cream, every carnivore’s dream. The Butter Chicken, made using head chef Anshu Angora’s father’s recipe, was an absolute delight and the Fattoush Salad made for the perfect palette cleanser between the onslaughts of rich flavours. Needless to say, we were too full to try the house dessert of giant jammy dodgers made from crumbly shortbread and strawberry mousse, so we finished with gloriously refreshing lychee ice cream.
If you are planning a trip to London soon, Lanes of London is absolutely worth visiting. Amidst a sea of leftfield restaurant concepts that continue to open on a daily basis, Lanes of London stands tall. The concept behind the restaurant only extends to the menu. And evidently, that’s still what really counts.
