‘My mother asked me if we were going to Ashton Kutcher’s restaurant,’ my friend Sophie smirked as she turned up for dinner at the Beaconsfield establishment that we were visiting one cold November Friday evening. Shame, frankly on Sophie’s mother. Although Atul Kochhar may not be quite the household name that Mr Kutcher is, he’s also, dare I say it, a considerable deal more talented than the actor-producer-entrepreneur when it comes to his culinary and restaurateur ambitions. After establishing himself as one of the best chefs in Britain, holding Michelin stars at his restaurants Tamarind and Benares, he has opened a series of high-end places in upmarket towns outside the capital, such as Marlow, Cookham and Beaconsfield.
Riwaz, set in the heart of the reassuringly expensive old town of the latter – home to well-heeled and discerning celebrities – represents a marriage of two of Kochhar’s instincts and talents. The building has the feel of an old coaching inn (and was once home to the rather less distinguished Zizzi restaurant), which gives it a welcome feeling of informality and accessibility, entirely at odds with stuffier establishments.
And this sense of being genuinely welcome guests, rather than wealthy patrons to be exploited, extends into the first, excellent course: a popadom basket, with extraordinarily good mango chutney, accompanied by a couple of glasses of ‘Champagne Atul Kochhar’. We know that we’re in good hands, and can sit back and relax.
Which, over the next couple of hours, is more or less what we do. This is more casual in its aims and intent than Kochhar’s Michelin-starred restaurants, with prices to match. If you opt for the seven-course tasting menu, it’s £69 per person, with a further £51 for the wine pairing; £120 apiece for food and drink of this calibre is a bargain.
We however opted for the a la carte, in the interests of sticking to what we liked, which included an exemplary scallops with cauliflower velouté, superb mixed grill options that include lamb and chicken seekh kebab and some of the best grilled salmon I can remember having anywhere, and the curries of your dreams.
You may think you’ve had rogan josh before, but, trust me, it won’t be as good as the Atul Kochhar rogan josh, any more than the chicken tikka you may have had will come close to the murg lababdar served here. The black daal is a serious rival to that of Dishoom’s, the gold standard for the dish (and owing a fair bit to Kochhar’s own innovations), the garlic naan is exemplary and a meal here is going to make you extraordinarily happy.
Mention must also go to the well-chosen wine list – a New Zealand Pinot Gris and the Barbera D’Alba are both finely selected and delicious options, although there are far more expensive selections available for the deep-pocketed oenophiles – and the cocktail list is intriguing, being a selection of “Progressive Indian Cocktails”. The Black Espresso Martini I try, as per, is a particular delight, being based around the Latvian spirit Riga Black Balsam, and giving this wonderful drink a particularly herbal kick: it is wonderful to find a twist on this familiar stalwart that actually feels fresh.
We leave in good spirits, saying fond farewells to the charming and solicitous staff, and vowing to return when next in Beaconsfield. Ashton Kutcher, we agree, has many charms, but no restaurant of his will ever live up to the innovation and sheer enjoyability of his near-namesake. Long may such a situation continue.
Riwaz by Atul Kochar, 41 Aylesbury End, Beaconsfield HP9 1LU. For more information, for bookings, and for signed copies of Atul’s book Curry Everyday, please visit www.riwazrestaurants.co.uk.
