Best restaurants near Leicester Square: Lotus restaurant London ★★★★★

There's a hot new arrival on the foodie scene: Lotus has just joined the race for the top Indian restaurants London has to offer, serving up high-end Indian cuisine in the midst of busy theatreland. 

Tucked away on bustling Charing Cross road, the contemporary restaurant boasts some of the finest indian chefs from some of London's best hotels, serving up an 'epicurean' gourmet experience. 

New restaurants in Leicester Square

Chef Bhaskar Banerjee and head chef Mohammed Naseem Qureshi place strong emphases on flavour. A far cry from the spice explosions of Brick Lane's bog-standard chicken tikka masalas, these are subtly balanced, unique dishes inspired by local specialties from the country's richly varied cuisine.

Starters of masala prawn, duck egg and green lentil wrap and pigeon dosa with coconut chutney make for subtle, delectable tastebud explosions: this is lovingly made and prepared Indian food that you're unlikely to have tried at over-Westernised Indian restaurants that are present in abundance across central London. 

Following the starters, mains of lobster tails with ginger, curry leaf and coconut curry are definitely worth a try, or if you want to experience what true roganjosh should taste like, there's a venison offering served with onion gravy that will dissolve in the mouth and linger on the palate for hours to come.

Lotus' in-house sommelier also offers carefully chosen wine pairings to accompany each of the dishes. Anyone seeking out the best Indian restaurants in Leicester square, or simply somewhere to hide away from the hectic overpriced theatre menus, could do little better than Lotus.

While the food isn't cheap, if you're looking for a relaxed and indulgent evening post-theatre, it's worth the price tag to hide away in this little haven of calm.