When you think of a prime, ultra British location, Rubens at the Palace leaves its competitors far behind.
Set across the road from the home of the ruling monarch, on a site that was, in the 18th-century, part of the grounds of Buckingham Palace, it embraced all of the Britishness guests and residents of modern London are so desired to grasp.
200 years of history
After being greeted by liveried doormen you are teleported to the old world of glamour and fun. Built in the 1800s to host debutantes attending parties at the Palace, the hotel served as General Sikorski’s Free State Polish Army’s headquarters during the Second World War. French general Charles de Gaul also made an appearance a time or two at the hotel!
The property was then acquired by a hotel group in the mid 1900s, and in continuing its royal legacy, Princess Anne attended the Committee of Methodist Association of Youth Clubs lunch at the hotel in 1970.
In 1998 the hotel was bought by its current owner – Red Carnation Hotel Collection. The property underwent multi-million-pound refurbishment in 2019 to restore a traditional English decor that includes marble floors, crystal chandeliers, plush rooms and suites filled with antiques and original artwork. Photographs of de Gaul, Churchill and other memorabilia from 1949 is on display in the lobby as a tribute to the original hotel.
Books to biryani
One of the new spaces added to the historic property was The Curry Room. Located in the former library it’s a very opulent gourmet Indian dining experience. This new space is red and gold throughout with grand chesterfield seating and tasteful Indian touches like ornaments and pictures on the wall.
Arun Kumar, The Curry Room’s chef, previously worked as Speciality Chef at the Michelin-starred Tamarind, Mayfair. For the Curry Room’s menu he worked closely with Kevin Joseph, executive chef at The Oyster Box Hotel in South Africa (The Rubens’ sister property). Joseph has previously launched Indian restaurants across The Red Carnation Hotel Collection in Durban, and n Guernsey.
Authentic taste of India
In addition to the à la carte menu, Chef Kumar and Chef Joseph put together an exceptional all-inclusive two and three-course menu that encompasses Indian starters, entrées and desserts. The best thing about this menu is that instead of one curry you get four mini curries, so there’s no endless deciding whether to go with the lamb, chicken or prawns here – you get all three plus a vegetarian option.
The generous selection of samosa, poppadum and condiment starters tantalise the taste buds, while the choice of main dishes offers something to suit every palate: Kevin Joseph’s traditional KwaZulu-Natal fare such as lamb curry and prawn and chicken curry brings the subtle spices of South Africa to the forefront, alongside Indian favourites such as spicy beef vindaloo, vegetable korma and Bengal fish curry.
The butter chicken tikka was particularly rich, creamy and delicious. All entrées are served with basmati rice, the chef’s vegetable side dish and traditional naan bread.
Dine with wine
The restaurant serves cuts of meat hand-selected by The Rubens’ butcher, Aubrey Allen, Royal Warrant holder to Her Majesty The Queen, and the fish is locally sourced from Billingsgate Market.
A wide selection of old and new world wines have been carefully selected to complement the dining experience, including a fine selection from Bouchard Finlayson, The Rubens’ sister vineyard in South Africa.
We truly enjoyed the pairing with one of the Cape’s stand-out Pinot Noirs – Bouchard Finlayson’s Galpin Peak, 2021. It was deftly balanced, rich, and dark with aromas of berries, plums and floral notes – perfect for the exquisite food. Popular Indian beers such as Kingfisher and Cobra are also available.
A sweet conclusion
Top off the experience with dessert, if there’s room, and savour the sweet goodness of ginger and orange rice pudding brulee with honey poached pears, cashew nut ice cream or baked vanilla cheesecake prepared from the legendary recipe of Red Carnation Hotels’ Founder & President, Bea Tollman.
Before you go enjoy a coffee or tea served in cups adorned with golden crowns.
At the end of the evening you can head upstairs to listen to the live singer at the New York bar or The Leopard Room concluding a night of British historical luxury and Indian charm.
The Curry Room is located at 39 Buckingham Palace Rd, London SW1W 0PS.
More information can be found here.
Image credits: © The Curry Room, Rubens, Travel with Style
