One door closes, another opens

This review was published in June 2001.

In case any of us should make the mistake of overestimating our own importance, it seems our readers pay little attention to anything we critics say. There are some places that are universally panned yet still pack in the punters (I won't mention names, to protect etc. Oh, all right then: Asia De Cuba).

Then there are others, unanimously lauded - such as High Holborn - which still bite the dust. Falling into the latter category was El Rincon, an upmarket Spanish restaurant I remember for the most ambrosial roast suckling pig; it didn't light the fire of the capital's diners and has had to bow out graciously.

Since it formed part of Claudio Pulze's Cuisine Collection group, the decision has been made to recycle the site, with its new incarnation a kind of diffusion offering of Pulze's fabulous Zaika , the Michelin-starred modern Indian praised by critics and diners alike. Little has been done to El Rincon's décor other than drape it with gorgeous Indian artefacts: butterfly-wing bright sari cloths, jewelled cushions, imposing furniture and the like, all of which is for sale.

Smart move. And in an even smarter move, Bar Zaika Bazaar, as it's now known, offers what is described as 'Indian tapas', actually a dizzying selection of Indian street foods.

Vineet Bhatia, who's responsible for the Zaika's dazzlingly successful kitchen, has created a menu offering, he says, 'a harmonious balance of textures, flavours and spices in simple accessible dishes'.

We went for the simple accessible dishes in a big way, ordering three out of the five available 'platters', designed to give as wide a range of tastes as possible. The seafood platter featured crab, spring onion and pea samosas with tomato chutney; batter-fried butterfish; smoked, spiced tandoori chicken; and spicy tandoori prawns. Each component was excellent: spiced just enough that the delicate (or robust, in the salmon's case) flavours shone through.

The lamb platter was minced lamb rolls; sensational cinnamon and clove drenched lamb escalopes; tender, hamburger-shaped aromatic lamb patties; and lamb and smoked cashew nut samosas with herb chutney. There wasn't a duff note. Then came the chicken: minced rolls scented with cardamom and rosemary, moist, fragrant and delicious; chicken in a kind of veil of spiced egg - stunning; guinea fowl tikka; and a mouth-tinglingly vibrant chilli and green herb chicken.

Then the most luxurious breads: a chicken tikka and spring onion naan, and a saffron and sesame seed version that was positively earth-moving. We also had a dish of succulent spiced scallops. Each platter arrived with an identical yoghurty, beany relish, though we could have chosen from kathis (bread wraps) or tavas (dishes tossed and scraped on an iron griddle) or even murg makhani, first cousin to the renowned chicken tikka masala.

'Operations manager' Mark Verga took enormous pleasure in plying us with a selection of wines - among them a sensational Gewurtztraminer - to complement the food. This, with cocktails, made a bill of about £90 for two but it's perfectly easy to eat and drink really well here for much less. Bar Zaika Bazaar, virtually deserted the night we visited, deserves to be jumping. Go visit (that's if any of you out there are still paying attention).

Bar Zaika Bazaar
2a Pond Place, SW3