The Darjeeling Bromley

One thing you can always rely on in London locations is a wide range of Indian restaurants and you will often find that there is little to choose between them. Many of their dishes are so similar as to have been purchased from a single wholesale rather than from their individual kitchens. So it comes as a pleasant surprise when you find one that takes exquisite care about the food that they cook and present. The Darjeeling in Bromley is, without question, the exception!
It is the latest of a group of restaurants around the area and replaces the (thankfully) short-​lived Bromley Masala. It’s right outside a bus stop but also boasts parking in the rear through a small (miss-​able) alleyway between about 20 yards further along the road. The décor is smart modern and mixes dark and light successfully. Seating is a great combination of intimate, cosy family and large groups using differing table styles and seating arrangements. It’s comfortable and warm. This warmth is extended to the staff who are courteous and solicitous but not to the point of irritation.
I had previously experienced the cooking of the Darjeeling when I ordered a takeaway from them and that set the tone of my expectations. There are certain key dishes which can determine how good an Indian/​Bangladeshi restaurant will be and the Sag Aloo I ordered from here was absolutely wonderful. No soggy spinach mess with near glutinous potatoes swimming in ghee here!
My partner and I found ourselves able to experiment with what they had to offer. The menu here is quite expansive with a wide choice of dishes. Something that usually makes me baulk at a restaurant where I have the strange idea that if they have so many different things to cook, how can they do them all well? I can tell you that there is no fear of this at the Darjeeling! I selected the Wild Duck Breast that pleasantly comes with its own pilau and my partner selected the Chicken Tikka Sylheti with some lemon rice. A Bindhi Bhaji for the side and some chapati. However our waiter, Kamal also managed to persuade me to try their Onion Bhaji as a starter.
I am glad that he did and even moreso when he suggested that we dress it with lime. These were golden, light and delicious and with the lime, gorgeous!
The Wild Duck was a revelation. Soft, meaty, with spicing that really made the dish come alive in the mouth. The Sylheti was soft, piquant and very more-​ish. Another revelation was the rice. Not for the Darjeeling the cliché of the multicolour rice clearly bulk bought by nearly every other local Indian. No, this was the real deal. Dark, brown, infused with the spices it was cooked in and teased through with crispy fried onion slices, totally lovely. My partner’s lemon rice was also dark and suffused with biting lemon, not the sweet lemon sauce style so often used. It was a perfect match for her Sylheti.
This is honest, well-​cooked Bangladeshi and Indian food in an establishment that shows care and skill in their kitchen and the same care and warmth in their staff. It is also incredibly good value for money. The meal we had, with a bottle of wine between us and bottled water came to less than £30 per head.
If you want very good service and excellent food at a very reasonable price then look no further. This is a real star in Bromley’s burgeoning restaurant revival and it would be a crime to miss it.