It may not be long before veteran Michelin chef Atul Kochhar gains his next star. 

In Kanishka, in Maddox Street, the acclaimed chef has a buzzing and classy central London gem. 

Kochhar, originally from Jamshedpur in India, earned his first Michelin star at Tamarind in 2001, and gained a second in 2007 at his own restaurant, Benares. 

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Since then he has built his portfolio and in 2019 returned to Mayfair with Kanishka. 

The restaurant offers a la carte, a tasting menu and a new grazing menu - all with lots of vegetarian options. 

After a delightful chickpea and balsamic amuse-bouche, my companion and I both started with the paneer - tandoor-smoked tender cottage cheese, fermented garlic and jalpai asaar. 

I’m a fan of paneer in pretty much all its forms, from bobbing in a creamy sea of spinach, to fat and meaty grilled chunks, but this was probably the best I’ve ever had. 

The paneer is soft, with deep, earthy, garlicky flavours around it and perfect warmth. 

This was followed by Atul’s Chicken Tikka Pie for my guest and a beetroot tikka for me. 

Both were flavoursome and came with satisfying textures after the luxurious starter. 

To follow, we had salmon and a Kosovo Batwi - stir-fried tofu and beans. 

While the salmon was brilliantly offset by bitter aubergine (“I feel almost troubled by it”), the sweet and sour stir-fry carried a delicious king chilli flavour. 

The mains came in the form of trios of lamb and broccoli respectively. 

While the lamb (rump, seekh kebab, and chop) was more spectacular (how could it not be?), the broccoli (roasted, fritters and magaz korma) still provided a hearty centrepiece to the vegetarian menu. 

The meal was topped off with an exquisite dark chocolate sphere, which melted under a spiced caramel sauce and came with an orange cream. 

Situated just off the Regent Street thoroughfare the restaurant is busy but does not feel crowded, and for a high-quality, well-run dining experience, hard to beat. 

Address: Kanishka, 17-19 Maddox St, London, W1S 2QH

Website: kanishkarestaurant.co.uk

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