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Kricket Soho

Indian·
££££
·
Gold Award
·

SquareMeal Review of Kricket Soho

Gold Award

Curry house loyalists look away now, Kricket isn’t your standard Indian experience. This bustling, busy restaurant in the centre of Soho draws crowds daily thanks to its winning formula of spicy small plates.

Come prepared to queue if dining in a duo, and your spot will likely take the form of a barstool pulled up to the counter surrounding the central kitchen. Watch as the team of chefs man their own stations to produce plate after plate of their speciality – the bread section is particularly mesmerising, with the repetitive kneading and brushing of dough and the ferocious tandoor at its heart.

Recognisable dishes have been given new twists – a crisp, lightly spiced samphire pakora for instance – and the menu is packed with tempting-sounding combinations. Sweet scallops hold stronger flavours than they’re typically afforded with a Madras butter, fried curry leaves and scraps of batter – a shell-scrapingly good dish.

A signature dish of grilled butternut squash is surrounded by a mellow makhana sauce (aka the gravy which typically surrounds a butter chicken), while a tarka dal is taken to heady heights thanks to plenty of pungent burnt garlic. Plates are more generous that you might expect for the format, except for the naans which are definitely one-per-head kind of breads.

Beer is of course a natural bedfellow for curry, but the team here have also devised some pretty stellar softs – our favourite being a mint and lime soda which tastes to all intents and purposes like a Virgin Mojito and quashes any chilli burn in a single sip (though note that there’s not much ferocious heat here.)

Service ranges from a little frazzled – staff have to lean across the counter from kitchen-side to get your order – to warm and welcoming, depending who you happen upon. This single niggle is forgiven and completely forgotten however, as you dunk fried chicken into curry leaf mayo and wonder how they would feel if you brought some tiffin boxes along with you, ordered double the food and asked to take a bucketload home with you.

Good to know

Average Price
££££ - £30 - £49
Cuisines
Indian
Ambience
Cool, Fun, Lively
Food Occasions
Dinner, Lunch
Special Features
Counter dining, Vegetarian options
Perfect for
Birthdays, Dates

About

Despite its Asian credentials, Kricket was set up by two British friends whose Anglo-Indian approach to small-plates dining propelled it into becoming one of the most talked-about restaurants on the London scene. With a host of celebrity fans, including Pierre Koffmann and Michel Roux Jr (who apparently cited the restaurant as one of his favourite restaurants, saying that ‘places like this are the reason why London is the envy of Paris and New York), Kricket’s ability to pull the crowds seems to have lost no magnitude since its opening in 2015.

As with many popular eateries in the capital, Kricket started out as a pop up, in this case a shipping container in POP Brixton. Just one year into trading the team made moves to open a bigger sister site in the thriving heart of Soho. This venture was backed by The White Rabbit Growth Fund, a company founded by an ex-Soho House commercial director.

The small dining room attracts a mix of locals and tourists, but is always heaving, with a queue of people trailing out the door keen to wait for a spot at the bar or in the basement dining room. The counter dining allows you to view the chefs at work or gaze onto the street ahead for some people watching while the handful of booth seats upstairs and tables downstairs allow for more relaxed dining.

The menu changes periodically with the season but some standout dishes have become so popular that they are a permanent feature. Small plates like the samphire pakora and the Keralan fried chicken have acquired cult-like status and are served up to nearly every table in the joint as far as we can tell. Kricket is open for lunch and dinner daily, taking a break to refresh the kitchen in between, except Sundays when it’s closed all day.

Location

12 Denman Street, Soho, London, W1D 7HH

020 7734 5612 020 7734 5612

Website

Opening Times

Lunch
Mon 12:00-14:30
Tue 12:00-14:30
Wed 12:00-14:30
Thu 12:00-14:30
Fri 12:00-14:30
Sat 12:00-14:30
Sun Closed
Dinner
Mon 17:30-22:30
Tue 17:30-22:30
Wed 17:30-22:30
Thu 17:30-22:30
Fri 17:30-22:30
Sat 17:30-22:30
Sun Closed

Reviews

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10 Reviews 
Food/Drink
Service
Atmosphere
Value

Anon

01 December 2022  
Food & Drink 5
Service 5
Atmosphere 5
Value 5

Always friendly, busy and with the best food. Now with the added attraction of its own Bar/Speakeasy named Soma next door. Fantastic, ever changing menu, these guys can't stop creating!

Liz L

01 December 2022  
Food & Drink 5
Service 5
Atmosphere 5
Value 5

Excellent food, friendly staff 

Keith N

01 December 2022  
Food & Drink 5
Service 5
Atmosphere 5
Value 5

Brilliat Food, staff and atmosphere. Just amazing!!

Timo T

26 July 2019  
Wonderful Indian fusion, great service and reasonable prices for the quality. What else you need?

James D

26 July 2019  
Love the modern twist on asian flavours. Downside is that it is so popular and difficult to get in.

Anon

02 July 2019  
Indian food with a difference. Good staff and relaxed atmosphere.

Anon

29 March 2019  
Incredible food and service.

Joanna M

27 June 2018  
Great wine list which compliments the food perfectly. Every dish is superbly executed, with flavour, texture, presentation and price spot on. Also what isnt to love about counter dining?!

Victoria H

21 March 2018  
Awsome breakfast.

James M

31 May 2017  
Amazing flavor combinations from a changing menu Something for everybody.
Book a table

Call Kricket Soho to make a booking on:

020 7734 5612 020 7734 5612

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