We sample the new Masala Zone brunch menu in an extraordinary dining room in the heart of Piccadilly.
Having the chance to sample the new brunch menu at the much-acclaimed Indian restaurant Masala Zone was an offer too good to be true. Masala Zone has four restaurants, and today, we are eating at what possibly is their flagship restaurant in the Criterion building on London’s Piccadilly Circus.
Masala Zone is part of the MW Eat group. The group also owns Veeraswamy, Chutney Mary, and Amaya, so its pedigree is second to none when it comes to Indian cuisine.
The Criterion restaurant was, in its time, a showpiece venue to visit with its opulence and glitzy decor. After it closed, a few restauranteurs tried to bring it back to its former glory days. In the 1990s Marco Pierre White opened a restaurant, and next up, Savini of Milan opened an upmarket Italian restaurant. It is fair to say both former inhabitants failed to deliver the restaurant that this fine old building deserves. That changed when MW Eat Group took over the building, and the owners were determined to bring the building back to its former glory. They spent a year renovating and opened the Masala Zone in the summer of 2023. As you can tell from the pictures what a job they did.
We arrived early and hungry, and even though Masala Zone officially opened at 11, we were knocking at the door to be let in. This gave us the advantage of being the first ones in, which allowed us to fully appreciate the grandeur of the building; they have done an amazing job restoring it, and it is truly breathtaking. It’s important to note that this is a large restaurant, but they have cleverly divided the space into different zones, making it feel more intimate. Towards the back of the restaurant, there is an area that can be used as a semi-private dining space.
Brunch, apparently after a quick chat with Mr Google, is a word introduced in the UK in the 19th century as a lighter meal served after church in place of breakfast and lunch. It gained popularity and quickly spread over the years as a way of socialising with family and friends over the weekend. Nowadays, brunch menus are increasingly popular in many restaurants.
So, Masala Zone launching its brunch menu is big news, and as a big fan of the concept, I can’t wait. I was joined by industry legend Maureen Mills, which was a lovely treat for me. Not only do I get to enjoy fantastic Indian cuisine, but dining with Maureen is like having your own personal Good Food guide sitting opposite you. What Maureen does not know about the London Restaurant scene is frankly not worth knowing.
As it was before noon, we decided to give the cocktails a miss, although had it been the weekend, we could have been tempted by the brunch Martini or the Masala bloody Mary. Instead, be prepared to be shocked, we went healthy with green juice. I have to confess the list of ingredients escapes me, but I know it had that spicy, warming kick of ginger which was very pleasant as well as good for the soul. I should add that a full range of hot drinks is available, including Masala Chai and gunpowder tea from India.
So, onto the important part: the food. The brunch menu is split into three sections: Regional Breakfasts of India, Grazing Small Plates, and Signature Toastie Nans. The latter sounded lovely, but today, we were going for the regional and side dishes.
We started off the grazing plate menu with Lamb Sliders and a Bombay pao bhaji, which we shared. The lamb sliders were delicious—little mini kebab hamburgers in a bun that packed a nice punch. The bhaji consisted of mash and vegetables with chilli and a home-baked caramelised onion pao bread. I think we chose well, but there were plenty of choices to tempt us in this section.
On to the regional breakfast section, I was intrigued and keen to try the dishes in this section; Maureen chose Rich Wedding scrambled eggs served with cinnamon and Pao toast.
It looked amazing and tasted so good. The eggs are mixed with cashew nuts, almonds, green chillies, onion, and cream to create a special version of Bharuchi Akuri that originally originated in Gujarat. Special mention should be made to the accompanying toast. It was so light and melted in the mouth that it did not need the butter that arrived with the toast.
My choice is Kerala Roast eggs and Kanchipuram idlis. The eggs were served in a thick Masala sauce (I would love the recipe for this dish) that had so many layers of spice. Steamed rice and lentil cakes balanced out the spicy sauce.
A quick note about the eggs we had for breakfast: They were Clarence Court Burford Browns. They might not be the cheapest, but they are worth trying for a special treat (my go-to eggs for Christmas day breakfast). I know Waitrose stock them.
So thats is my quick overview of a brunch experience at Masala Zone; it’s a lovely way to start a day out in town, and I’m sure it will be extremely popular. I hope to return soon to share my thoughts on the full menu; I can’t wait.
We were dining at Masala Zone, 224 Piccadilly, St. James’s, London W1J 9HP.
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