< return to search results

Southampton
Kohinoor

The Kohinoor is named after the legendary Kohinoor (which in Persian means mountain of light) diamond, a gift to Queen Victoria in 1850 that symbolised the quality and richness of goods imported from India. Like its namesake, this restaurant has a long and established reputation for quality and richness of food and service, and has been in existence in Southampton now for nearly 25 years.

In the words of proprietor Kamal Miah, Kohinoor seeks to provide ‘…quality cuisine and friendly service within intimate and private surroundings’. Situated in the heart of Southampton’s bustling Portswood, the eatery certainly lives up to this statement. Within the relaxed, light and contemporary interior, the choice of dishes is plentiful and varied, with all the typical classics one expects to see: baltis, tikkas, tandooris, kormas, jalfrezis and a whole lot more. The amiable Kamal and his team provide a service that is second to none, and when we asked for advice about the menu they were only too happy to oblige.

From the à la carte list of starters we opted for a firm favourite – chicken tikka. I can wholeheartedly vouch for the tastiness of this dish, and the piquancy of the fresh lime provided as an accompaniment beautifully enlivened the succulent meat. We also sampled the spicy roll, which is a masala pappadom filled of onions and potato; and dumm alloo, potatoes stuffed with fresh vegetables and herbs and deep-fried.

My main course came from the Chef’s Cuisine listing, and for those who do not like their food overly spicy, I can happily recommend it: chicken bangla special; the sauce is mild, creamy and herby, and at £7.05, it is exceptional value for money. Our other main choice was karai king prawn, a highly spiced house speciality cooked with fresh ginger, garlic, tomatoes, onions and capsicum in a wok-like pan called a karai and served with pilau rice and hot, soft nan bread.

According to Kamal, the restaurant’s most popular dish is chicken tikka makhani; combining tender chunks of chicken with moderately hot spices, green peppers, onions and tomatoes (and with a price of just £7.45), it is certainly well worth a try. Kamal added that the chef has been at Kohinoor for some 15 years and takes particular delight in constantly evolving the menu and creating innovative signature dishes. Every day (except Friday) you can sample Kohinoor’s famous three-course lunch for the bargain price of £5.95.

Kohinoor offers a range of non-alcoholic drinks, and as fully licensed premises also offers spirits, wines and beers from different parts of the world – including, of course, Cobra and Kingfisher. Ranked by the AA and with Master Chef awards to boot, Kohinoor promises total Eastern delight: Kamal and his team will ensure that you are spoiled every single time you visit.

< return to search results