Chambeli Restaurant is an Indian restaurant at 146 Southampton Row in Bloomsbury. Established in 1985, it has developed a long standing place in the neighbourhood through Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani cooking served in a comfortable dining room. The name refers to the jasmine flower, a symbol of warmth and welcome that reflects the restaurant’s hospitable approach.
The menu begins with samosas, onion bhaji, kebabs and tandoori starters prepared with aromatic marinades and spices. Chicken, lamb, prawns and vegetables all appear across the opening plates, allowing a table to share contrasting textures before the main course. Cooking with measured amounts of oil, butter and cream helps the spices and core ingredients remain distinct.
Curries cover familiar favourites as well as regional house dishes. Lamb dhansak balances heat, sweetness and sourness with lentils, while saag gosht combines lamb and spinach with herbs. Karahi lamb brings tomatoes, peppers and Khyber spices together in an iron pan, and methi gosht uses fenugreek leaves for a more fragrant savoury character.
Tandoori dishes, biryanis, vegetable sides, rice and fresh breads make it easy to assemble a varied meal for a group. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten free choices are available, and the team can advise diners about ingredients and spice levels. A full bar, takeaway service and catering for parties extend Chambeli beyond the dining room while preserving its focus on generous regional cooking.
Address: 146 Southampton Row, Bloomsbury, London WC1B 5AG, United Kingdom
Chambeli Restaurant Menu
Appetisers and Soups
Carrot & Coriander Soup
Home made soup with fresh coriander & carrots
Mulligatawny Soup
The famous South Indian Potage simmered with lentils and spices thickened with rice
Onion Bhaji
Sliced onion mixed with gramflour and herbs, deep fried
Samosas (Meat or Vegetable)
Triangular shaped savoury snacks filled with spicy minced meat or vegetables
Chicken or Lamb Tikka
Boneless chicken or lamb pieces barbequed in the clay oven
Garlic Malay Mushroom
Fresh mushroom cooked in a creamy cheese sauce
Fish or Chicken Pakora
Fish or chicken chunks coated with gramflour and deep fried
Avocado Shrimp or Prawn Cocktail
Our own special recipe, recommended with confidence, Cocktail served with salad
Chicken Chat
Chicken cooked in mildly spiced hot and sour sauce
Prawn on Puree
Medium spice prawn on fried puree bread
Chambeli Recommends Set Meals
Meat Thali
Piece of tandoori chicken, sheekh kebab, rogan josh or chicken korma, mixed vegetable, raitha, pilau rice and naan
Vegetarian Thali
Onion Bhaji, matar paneer, aloo gobi, tarkha dhal, raitha, pilau rice and naan
Fish Thali
Tandoori fish, dry vegetables, raitha, dhal, pilau rice and naan
Fish Special
Grilled salmon fish served with lightly spiced vegetables, rice & fresh crispy salad and nan
Tandoori Mixed Grill
Pieces of tandoori chicken, chicken tikka, lamb tikka, sheek kebab. Served with naan bread
Tandoori King Prawn
King sized prawn marinated in yoghurt and selected spices, cooked in a clay oven
Tandoori Fish (Seabass)
Whole fresh succulent seabass, grilled slowly in the clay oven
Fish Tikka (Salmon)
Chef’s recipe, marinated, specially prepared in a clay oven
Lamb or Chicken Pasanda
Sliced lamb/chicken cooked in fresh cultured yoghurt & mixed with almond nuts, very mild
Gosht Kata Massala
Succulent lamb with creamy almonds sauce, cultured yoghurt, garlic and mild garam massala
Tandoori King Prawn Massala
King sized prawn, charcoal grilled cooked with almond nuts and served in a special sauce
Chef's Ralwa
A dish of marinated chicken, diced lamb and prawns in a lean keema & ginger sauce, pan fried with spring onions and garam massala
Garlic Malai Chicken
Breast of chicken marinated in cream garlic & black pepper, grilled in our clay oven, served in cheese sauce
King Prawn Malai
King prawns marinated in cream garlic & black pepper, grilled in our clay oven, served in cheese sauce
Chambeli Recommends Set Meals – Choice for Two
choose any main dish from Poultry or Lamb
Set Meal For 2
STARTER: Tandoori chicken, sheek kebab, salad MAIN: Lamb curry, butter chicken, mixed vegetables, pilau rice, naan & raitha TEA OR COFFEE
Chambeli Recommends Set Meals – Choice for Three
choose any main dish from Poultry or Lamb
Set Meal For 3
STARTER: Tandoori chicken, sheek kebab, salad MAIN: Rogon josh, chicken korma, mixed vegetables, pilau rice, naan & raitha TEA OR COFFEE
Tandoori Charcoal and Grills
Chicken Tandoori
Spring chicken marinated in special Indian spices and barbequed on flaming charcoal in the tandoor. The traditional clay oven known for the mysterious and unique flavour it gives to a variety of meats and breads. Every province in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh has its own special barbeque and grill roasted on various meats, poultry, game and fish.
Chicken Shashlik
Diced chicken or lamb marinated with spices, capsicum, herbs roasted in clay oven with tomatoes and onions. The traditional clay oven known for the mysterious and unique flavour it gives to a variety of meats and breads. Every province in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh has its own special barbeque and grill roasted on various meats, poultry, game and fish.
Lamb Shashlik
Diced chicken or lamb marinated with spices, capsicum, herbs roasted in clay oven with tomatoes and onions. The traditional clay oven known for the mysterious and unique flavour it gives to a variety of meats and breads. Every province in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh has its own special barbeque and grill roasted on various meats, poultry, game and fish.
Vegetables (Side Dishes)
Any Vegetable As a Main Dish
Mixed Vegetables
Mixed vegetables cooked in spices
Bombay Aloo
Potatoes cooked in bombay style, hot
Aloo Gobi
Fresh Cauliflower and potatoes cooked dry with tomatoes and herbs
Sundries
Pappadom
Plain or Massala
Raitha / Yoghurt
Yoghurt with cucumber
Assorted Chutneys
Featured Items
Lamb Biryani
Lamb Biryani
Butter Chicken (Chicken Tikka Masala)
Butter Chicken (Chicken Tikka Masala)
Chicken Madras
Curries
Lamb Dhansak
Very tasty persian dish, hot, sweet and sour, cooked with lentils
Saag Gosht
Lamb and spinach cooked with herbs
Karahi Khyberi Lamb
A speciality of Khyber-diced lamb cooked in Khyber spices with tomatoes and capsicums served from the iron karahi