Colonel Saab

Colonel Saab opened on William IV Street, between Trafalgar Square and the Covent Garden Piazza, as the second London restaurant of the Choudhary family following the success of their original site in Holborn Town Hall. It is one of the more theatrical Indian restaurants in central London, with rooms filled with colour, antiques and memorabilia gathered on the family's journeys across India.

The menu mixes traditional Indian flavours with modern technique, ranging across regional Indian traditions and drawing on royal and street-food recipes from different parts of the subcontinent rather than a single style. Dishes are generous and boldly spiced, and the kitchen puts as much weight on its starters as on the aromatic signature mains.

Indian restaurant near Trafalgar Square

The Trafalgar Square branch is laid out as a bar, a lounge and a main dining area hung with Firozabad glass chandeliers, with a mezzanine above. The interiors take their cue from the family's travels, and the scale of the space makes it comfortable for groups and celebrations as well as a quieter dinner for two. It sits a short walk from the Strand theatres and Charing Cross station, which makes it a natural stop after the National Gallery or before a show.

What to expect on a visit

Service runs in two sittings daily, lunch from midday to 3pm and dinner from 5pm, with a slightly earlier finish on Sunday and Friday evenings. Booking is advisable in the evening and around theatre times. Colonel Saab is among the most distinctive rooms in Covent Garden's fine dining listings, and for a different kind of occasion dinner nearby there is the Argentine grill at Gaucho on James Street. Come for the Indian fine dining and expect a room that turns a meal into an event.