Three Falcons Indian Gastropub

London is no short of Indian restaurants. From cheap local eats to contemporary fine dining, the city has plenty to offer when it comes to Indian cuisine and we’ve tried a fair share of them in central London. So we didn’t have huge expectations when we decided to visit Three Falcons Indian gastropub/boutique hotel located in St. John’s Wood / Edgware Road. But we do love to be surprised when it comes to food!

Disclaimer: This was a PR invitation and our meal was complimentary. But all thoughts are our own.

Three Falcons: Central London’s First Indian Gastropub & Hotel

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Asparagus Mousse (complimentary)

To start, we were kindly given these mini pots of Asparagus Mousse as a complimentary “surprise” (off the menu), served with a little piece of garlic naan sitting elegantly on top. These little pots of delight have really set the right impression and positive note for the rest of the evening. It was nicely blended with a touch of coriander, curry leaves, and a myriad of spices, featuring a creamy airy texture and delectable flavours that danced wonderfully around the palate. I could even imagine this being from a fine-dining Indian restaurant. The dish oozed sophistication and We scooped that bowl clean and eagerly looked forward to the rest of the food!

Murgh Angara Tikka (£10.50)

First up, we had the Murgh Angara Tikka, i.e. chicken tikka, and it nailed the spot. The chicken was perfectly tender and succulent to taste, pairing impeccably with the mint & coriander chutney. We wouldn’t mind it being a little spicier on the chicken, but that’s more of a personal preference and the dish was fairly good overall. The little touch of salad on the side was also the perfect accompaniment, featuring a refreshing zingy touch to the dish. All in all, it’s safe to say that we really enjoyed it!

Tandoori Welsh Lamb Chops (£15)

Next for starters, we ordered the tandoori lamb chops, which came in three pieces served over a bed of mint & corn salad and a sprinkle of pickled onions on top. The marinade itself for the lamb chops was lovely, featuring piquant spices with a hint of tangy flavour. However, the meat itself was overcooked so it wasn’t as tender and succulent as we’d like. On that note, we found ourselves enjoying and remembering that zingy bed of salad more, whereas the lamb chops sort of faded into the background rather than being the main star.

Lamb Seekh (£12)

Then we had the lamb seekh kebab, served with a side of salad, mint & coriander chutney, and pickled onions. The dish was alright but it wasn’t a particularly memorable one. It was decent, overall, but we felt that the meat itself could use more of a kick of spice and would prefer it to be a little juicier. Again, the salad, chutney, and pickled onions have hit the spot and inevitably stole a bit of the spotlight compared to the kebab. It was not bad but has a bit more room for improvement in our opinion.

Old Delhi Butter Chicken (£16.50)

When I looked up the food at Three Falcons, the Indian Butter Chicken immediately stood out to me with its raving positive reviews. With all the anticipation in the world, the dish certainly did not disappoint! The chicken was incredibly tender and succulent, and the makhani sauce was delectably rich and creamy to taste. It’s got a subtle tingle of spices on the chicken and offers a moreish full-bodied flavour to savour. We thoroughly enjoyed it, especially with some garlic naan, and we’d certainly say this is one of the top butter chicken dishes around town.

Kashmiri Rogan Josh (£16.50)

The Rogan Josh wasn’t too bad either, featuring tender chunks of slow-cooked lamb in a robustly-flavoured curry. We thought it was quite good and we enjoyed the dish a lot. Perhaps the curry could use an extra kick of spice to add a bit more heat and perk up the dish more. But overall it’s decently good and we happily munched away with some garlic naan to pair.

Lamb Dum Biryani (£16.80)

With all the dishes quite satisfactory throughout the evening, the lamb biryani was no exception. It came absolutely steaming hot in a pot and in a bigger portion than we expected. Flavour-wise, it was pretty decent and packed with a fragrant aroma at each bite. The texture was great as well – it was well-layered, moist but not soggy, and fluffy to taste. The only thing was that we’d prefer the lamb itself to be seasoned a bit more but, that aside, the biryani was great. We’d say it’s definitely one of the better ones we’ve had in a long while.

Gulab Jamun Cheesecake (£7)

Moving on to desserts, there were only two options so we grabbed one of each from the menu. Starting with the Gulab Jamun Cheesecake, it was prettily topped with chopped pistachios and rose petals. It was nice, but we weren’t too blown away by it. Perhaps I was expecting more of a syrupy taste of Gulab Jamun incorporated into the cheesecake, rather than just a few spongy bites at the end of the slice.

Sticky Ginger and Jaggery Pudding (£7)

Last but certainly not least, was the Sticky Ginger & Jaggery Pudding. It is essentially an Indian twist on a classic sticky toffee pudding, and admittedly, it isn’t something I’d usually go for. But I’m so glad that we ended up trying this because it absolutely stole our hearts. The pudding was warm, moist, rich & hearty, and absolutely spot on with everything from texture to flavour & sweetness. It comes with a side of Cardamom Chantilly Cream that further enriches the flavours of the pudding.

Restaurant Review Summary