This was my second visit to Delhi Social since it opened in November 2023 on a busy street in Twickenham in a building that used to be a pub. As explained in my previous review, the head chef and manager were previously at Black Salt. The previous review also covered the wine list.
A pair of chicken chops was lovely, made from the thigh meat of the chicken and served on the bone. The chops were marinated in spices and then cooked in a tandoor. The end result was very tender meat that had nicely absorbed the spices of the marinade, served with mint chutney and a set of cooked onion rings (15/20). The fish pakora was also very good, a fairly simple dish of deep-fried pieces of tilapia, but with delicate batter precise cooking and a yoghurt dip on the side (14/20).
Chicken biryani was good, with meat that avoided dryness and quite fragrant rice. It also had a quite lively kick of green chilli, which worked well. It would be nice to see this enclosed with a pastry case and opened at the table to retain the cooking aromas, but this was certainly a very good biryani (14/20). A spinach side dish was garnished with shreds of fresh ginger and had plenty of deep spinach flavour, enhanced with the spices it was cooked with (15/20). Kaacha aam prawn curry had carefully cooked prawns and a rich sauce flavoured with curry leaves, raw mango and coconut. I particularly liked the sauce, which did not use too much coconut and retained an excellent flavour balance (15/20). Aloo gobi was superb as it was on my previous visit. They have really nailed this dish, with the cauliflower and potatoes having a lovely texture and the mix of spices enlivening the vegetables (16/20).
The bill came to £64 with beer (and a cocktail) to drink and stacks of food. Service was friendly and attentive and there already seemed to be returning regulars just weeks after opening. The cooking at Delhi Social is of a very high standard and I highly recommend the restaurant.
Further reviews: 26th Aug 2024 | 26th Nov 2023
Sean Rolfe
Thanks for the recommendation Andy. We went tonight and loved it! Up there with Daastan and Black Salt. Spoiled for choice in south east London
tim wharton
Totally agree with this. Years ago I went to the famous Viceroy of India in Mayfair. The food at Delhi Social is at least as good, if not better, than the food was there. I've never visited Black Salt, or some of the other Indian restaurants you've visited, Andy, but the food here is excellent! (I think I was there the same night as you!)