Sprung from Stoke Newington, the W1 branch of the Rasa group is no bad fit for Mayfair, shunning formulaic curry-house rip-offs in favour of Keralan authenticity without any real hike in price or formality – just ignore the shocking pink livery and whiff of incense. Kick off with amazing crunchy snacks and vivid homemade chutneys, before sampling lentil-based rasam soup or maybe mysore bonda (spiced potato balls in chickpea batter). Curries mix veggie and carnivorous themes, from tangy, tomato-based thakkali or spiced kingfish with steamed cassava to varutharacha kozhy (a ‘home-style’ chicken dish spiked with coconut, dried red chillis and fresh curry leaves). If you need a speedy fix, drop by for one of their lunchboxes or dosa pancakes with sambar and coconut chutney (a snip at around £10). Note that Rasa is now open for Sunday brunch too.