gaylord with zomato

22 March 2015

We were warned that there would be a feast waiting for us, when Zomato invited us to Gaylord for an evening of fine Indian food. We just didn't know quite how huge this feast would be - to say we all went home with food babies would be an understatement.

Gaylord is the second oldest Indian restaurant in London, and prides itself in serving the finest Mughlai and Northern Indian cuisine in the city. The restaurant itself is elegant, filled with loyal regulars and people who know what authentic Indian food really is. We were there to celebrate their new & improved menu, which I'm sure will be a great success.

Now, I don't know the first thing about authentic Indian food, but I do know what tastes good and what doesn't, which is good enough for me. And I can tell you that for the most part, I was quite impressed with their offerings.

I hit jackpot with my table-mates, Lisa, Angela and Thorne. We had a fantastic evening together, talking 'til we dropped (or the amount of wine that was consumed finally sent us rolling home) - all while taking a million photos and trying to decipher which dish was what.

We started with Shafari Saffron Thandai, a sweet but potent cocktail that tasted like fancy Baileys. Along with it, we had the first of our canapés - the Golgappa Shot (a liquid amuse bouche that we filled the accompanying cracker with and ate in one go), BelPhuri Cone (a street food classic), and an assortment of chicken (please forgive me for not knowing the name of every single dish - there were a lot). They all came beautifully presented, carried by smiling waiters and waitresses, who were very patient with everyone's cameras being shoved every which way.

















And then the food just kept on coming. 

Lamb kebabs, scallops, tandoori tiger prawns, crab cakes... you name it, we had it.

The lamb and prawns were my favourite of the starters, but everything was very flavourful and plated beautifully.

We were also served tacos on cars... literally. They weren't my favourite (it just didn't make very much sense to put things in taco shells? The novelty factor is fun though), but it was probably the winner of all the instagram shots.

Before the main courses, I took a loo break and my dining companions hijacked my camera...












Can you believe that this was all before the main course? We were spoilt rotten. 

For the main course, we had the choice of getting one of two sets for the table, and we decided to pair up with the table next door and get a different one each to share. But then they had to leave before it arrived, so we ended up with... a lot. 

At this point I had already eaten a considerable amount (even for me) so I only tried a little of each dish, but the fresh naan and the butter chicken were delicious. They have such a variety on their menu that I think you could go with a large group and everyone would find a dish they love.

Of course, we didn't leave without dessert, and of course, we didn't just get one. They gave us a selection to try - Gajar Halwa (carrot pudding), Rasmafal (Indian soft cheesecake) and Gulab Jamun Flambe with spiced rum. I really only had a tiny bite of each, but the Gulab Jamun was my favourite - definitely alcoholic but perfectly so!











As you can tell, we were fed like kings by Gaylord and the general consensus was that the food was great. The manager and staff were all incredibly friendly and chatty, which is always a plus, and I could tell that they are genuinely passionate about their restaurant. They very kindly sent us home with a lunch for two voucher, which I will most definitely be making the most of!

Thanks again to Zomato & Gaylord for a brilliant evening - you can find and follow my restaurant reviews on Zomato here


79-81 Mortimer Street
London
W1W 7SJ
020 7580 3615





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