Pravaas restaurant review: like nothing else in London (2024)

‘Pravaas’, which translates as ‘journey’ in Marathi, is true to its name, taking you on a worldwide journey of exceptionally tasty fusion food.

Every restaurant has its gimmicks – a theme or ‘twist’ that they hope will make it stand out. Most of the time they are not all that convincing, but Kensington’s new Indian restaurant Pravaas sold their vision to me and then some. The menu is meant to reflect the ‘journey’ its head chef Shilpa Dandekar has been on in her culinary life, with influence from countries from all around the world. Making big changes to Britain’s favourite cuisine is certainly bold, but was it worth the risk?

The Vibe

It is a small and intimate space, rather quiet with music turned down so the entire focus becomes on what’s on the plate in front of you. The dark emerald walls make the restaurant feel even smaller, but in such a way that quietly boasts a clean elegance, contrasting beautifully with the cream seating and dark wooden tables with just a couple of orange plants to give the room some life. In truth, the space does little to reflect how exciting the menu is and instead aims to create a relaxing environment – which it achieves.

The Food

This is where Pravaas comes alive. Chef Shilpa’s experimentation and skill is evident across the entire menu, with concoctions mixing different cultures’ cuisine in a way I had never even imagined was possible before.

The base of everything is fundamentally Indian focusing primarily on Shilpa’s home region of Gujarat, and despite the variation you will still find all the staples of Indian food that the British have grown to love.

But this is a place where you will receive more satisfaction in paying to indulge in the creativity of the dishes.

Our eyes were drawn immediately to the Wasabi fried chicken which was strikingly tasty, finding a comfortable balance between the instant spiciness of the wasabi marinade with the smokey aftertaste of the clay-oven cooked tikka.

I grew up in a home accustomed to traditional French cuisine, so when I spotted the words ‘dauphinoise potatoes’ next to the Rogan Josh, my curiosity was piqued. The result was a gloriously tender lamb on the bone which leant delicately over a slice of dauphinoise potatoes which had been infused with mustard seeds and curry. A surprisingly perfect mix.

The scene stealer at Pravaas however is Shilpa’s variation of the classic Patra Chaat. Steamed colocasia leaves blended with yoghurt, covered with date and tamarind chutney, pomegranates and chopped sev noodles, this crunchy and refreshing dish exploded in my mouth, redefining what I had considered flavourful to be.

The co*cktails don’t quite hit the heights of the food (a tall order anyway), but there’s creativity here too. Our recommendation is the Elderflower and Rose Sling – a sweet and fruity drink that immediately cleanses the palette between dishes.

The Value

Food thisexcellent does not come cheap in London, though neither is Pravaas extortionate. You’ll find yourself paying upwards of £20 for many of the main courses and the portion sizes aren’t huge (though in fine-dining terms we can call them generous). Expect to spend around £50pp minimum for a decent-sized dinner.

The Service

Pravaas has a small but knowledgeable team – all perfectly in tune with Shilpa’s vision and can explain the origin and inspiration between each dish. Food is served quickly and presented beautifully with little fuss.

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