Cinnamon Kitchen at Battersea Power Station
There are few things that can make us want to travel south of the river for, but the delicious tandoor grills at Cinnamon Kitchen will do the job. The newest branch in the group has opened in the amazing Battersea Power Station as the first chapter in the exciting regeneration of the Grade-II listed building.
The restaurant serves contemporary Indian dishes inspired by the dishes found on the Mumbai Jaipur Pink City Express train route and imaginative cocktails by award-winning mixologist Tony Conigliaro, you know, the genius mixologist behind 69 Colebrooke Row, Untitled and Bar Termini. We dipped into the Assam Manhattan; Black Assam infused Buffalo Trace, vermouth, maraschino laced with black cardamom and Mezcal Verdita; an Indian twist on a Sangrita with fresh pineapple, chilli, blackpepper, verjus, curry leaves, mescal. Don’t let the comparison to sangrita confuse you with sangria, this is potent.
The thing we’ve always loved about Cinnamon Kitchen is how inventive and different the dishes are on offer, no butter chicken here. The team in Battersea looked after us so well, we literally tried 80% of the menu so take it with confidence when we say the absolute stand outs are the Spice crusted lamb fillet with tomato salsa, smoked paprika raita; grilled Wild African prawn with a coriander and garlic crust, it’s more lobster than prawn and is perfectly delicious; and the 35 day dry aged Hereford beef rump steak with tellicherry pepper sauce and masala chips. For a more traditional wet curry, you can’t go past the King prawns in Bengali turmeric curry.
Cinnamon Kitchen caterers to the needs of gluten free, veggie and vegan diners. We visited with a friend who suffers from coeliac disease and for the first time in a long time we could share everything put in front of us. For the odd dish we couldn’t an individually portioned alternative was delivered to the table, perfectly explained and equally delicious.
The restaurant interiors are a dream too. The old railway arch has a minimalist industrial décor to complement the stark backdrop of the historic Power Station. There’s natural earthy materials offset against edgy, modern exposed brick and a cool monochrome colour palette with splashes of jade green and luxe finishes such as marble, and brass. There’s a lush black concrete bar ideal for sipping on a spice-infused cocktail whilst added theatre comes from the expansive open-plan kitchen.
