Spread across two floors near Trafalgar Square, Colonel Saab is part restaurant, part art collection and part family story, bringing together regional Indian cooking, cocktails and a seriously impressive collection of antiques. London isn’t short of Indian restaurants. But Colonel Saab is trying to offer something rather different.
Just moments from Trafalgar Square, the restaurant is the second London outpost from restaurateur Roop Partap Choudhary, following the success of the original Colonel Saab in Holborn. Opened in 2021.
The concept is deeply personal. Colonel Saab was created as a “love letter” to Choudhary’s family and India, inspired by his childhood experiences travelling across the country with his mother and father, Colonel Manbeer, who was given the honorific title ‘Colonel Saab’ during his service in the Indian Army.
Interiors
What really sets the Trafalgar Square location apart, however, is what surrounds the food. The restaurant has been designed almost like a private museum, with a huge collection of Indian art and artefacts gathered by the Choudhary family during their travels.
Under the glass atrium, ornate chandeliers from Firozabad hang above the main dining room, while throughout the space you’ll find everything from antique textiles and miniature paintings to historic furniture and religious and cultural artefacts.
Highlights include vibrant Tanjore paintings, handmade wooden doors from temples in Gujarat and Nepal, antique Phulkari embroidery, Warli paintings and a collection of rugs displayed throughout the restaurant. Some pieces are particularly personal, including Roop’s grandparents’ wedding almirah, alongside family photographs and paintings.
The staff are also encouraged to tell the stories behind the collection, meaning the artwork isn’t simply there as decoration. It becomes part of the experience.
The Menu
The menu takes inspiration from the different regions Choudhary encountered throughout his family’s travels, with traditional recipes given a contemporary London treatment. The result is an all-day dining menu that moves well beyond the familiar curry-house staples.
There are regional specialities rarely seen on London menus, alongside dishes such as the Gutti Vankaya, an Andhra-style preparation of baby aubergines cooked in a tangy tamarind gravy, and the Falahari Curry Kofta. There are classic tikka starters with options of fish or chicken, these however are not your standard they are more traditionally spiced there is a lot more flavour and slightly more spicy than you may be used to however the taste is sensational.
For mains there is an array of traditional curries to choose from catering to all dietary requirements The Famous Lamb Curry being outstanding and a must try, for vegans as mentioned previously Falahari Curry Kofta. To accompany your mains there is the selection of breads, rice and sides depending on what you fancy.
Then there’s dessert. The Rasmalai Milk Cake, served with cardamom cream and Boondi Caviar, brings together familiar Indian flavours with a more modern presentation. The Bengali Mishti Doi Cheesecake, finished with jaggery syrup, is another example of the restaurant’s approach: recognisable flavours, but with plenty of room to experiment.
The Drinks
The drinks menu continues the Indian influence. Colonel Saab has worked with Diageo’s mixology team to create a Masala Dabba, inspired by the traditional Indian spice box, featuring artisanal gins, whiskies and rums incorporating Indian botanicals.
There is also a cocktail list designed to complement the food, with drinks named after members of Choudhary’s family. It’s another detail that reinforces the restaurant’s wider philosophy: everything is connected to the family’s history and their relationship with India.
Our favourite being the Punchu made with the famous Desi Daru mango vodka a sweet punch which is refreshing and enjoyable.
A Family Legacy
Choudhary’s connection with hospitality goes back decades. His parents built their own career in the hotel industry, beginning with a modest hotel before moving into boutique and palace properties across India. Roop himself started working in the kitchens of the family hotels as a young man before continuing that legacy with Colonel Saab.
For the restaurant, that history is more than background. Choudhary spent a year retracing his father’s footsteps across India by train, bus and car, using the journey to explore regional dishes and reconnect with recipes and culinary traditions that had been passed down through generations.
The TONE Take
Colonel Saab is clearly aiming to be more than somewhere to eat.
Yes, the food is at the centre of it, but the restaurant works just as much as a celebration of Indian culture, family history and craftsmanship. The Trafalgar Square location takes that idea and gives it a suitably grand setting, with two floors, a large bar and lounge, private dining rooms and an impressive collection of art and antiques.
For anyone looking for Indian food beyond the familiar London staples, it’s an opportunity to explore a much broader range of regional flavours, while the surroundings give the whole experience a sense of occasion.
Colonel Saab is available to book at both Trafalgar Square and Holborn Hall here
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