New to Indian Food? Start Here
If you have never eaten Indian food before, the menu can look like a lot. The good news is that it is far simpler than it seems, and you do not need to know a single dish name to eat well. Order something mild, something to share, and plenty of bread and rice, and you will be fine. Here is exactly where to start at Saffron Soho.
Begin With a Mild Curry
The fear most first-timers have is heat, so begin where there is none to speak of. A Korma is cooked in a mild, creamy sauce of coconut and almond, gentle and a little sweet. Butter Chicken is rich and rounded, with tomato, butter and cream carrying a warm, mellow spice rather than a fiery one.
Chicken Tikka Masala sits in the same comfortable territory: tandoor-cooked chicken in a creamy masala sauce. It is the dish Britain fell for, and it remains the easiest possible introduction to what Indian food can be.
Order a Starter From the Tandoor
Before the curry, share something from the clay oven. Chicken or Lamb Tikka comes out smoky and tender with a little char. Seekh Kebab is lightly spiced minced lamb, grilled on a skewer. Onion Bhaji is crisp, savoury and entirely approachable.
These starters tell you a lot about a kitchen, because the tandoor leaves nowhere to hide. They are also a gentle, low-stakes way to taste Indian spicing before the main event arrives.
Get the Bread and Rice Right
Indian food is built to be eaten together, with bread and rice doing the work of carrying sauce. A warm Plain or Garlic Naan, fresh from the tandoor, is for tearing and dipping. Pilau or saffron rice soaks up everything else.
You do not need much beyond that. One curry, one tandoori starter, a naan and some rice will feed two people generously and teach you more about Indian food than any menu description can.
Don't Be Shy About Spice
Every dish can be cooked to your taste, so tell us how you like it. If you want mild, we will keep it mild. If you decide halfway through that you want more heat next time, you will know exactly where your line sits.
We also keep a long vegetarian and vegan list, all clearly marked, along with gluten-free options. Whatever you eat, there is a comfortable starting point on the menu.
Come and Eat With Us
We serve the full menu straight through from midday, late into the night: until midnight, every night.
You will find us at 63 Old Compton Street, W1D 6HT, two minutes from the West End and close to Leicester Square and Tottenham Court Road.
Book a table online or call us on 020 3941 9935, and let us guide you through your first Indian meal in Soho.
Frequently asked questions
What should I order at an Indian restaurant for the first time?
Start with a mild, creamy curry such as Korma, Butter Chicken or Chicken Tikka Masala, share a tandoori starter like chicken tikka or seekh kebab, and add a naan and some rice. That gives you a complete, approachable meal.
Which Indian dishes are not spicy?
Korma is the mildest with no real heat, while Butter Chicken, Chicken Tikka Masala and Pasanda are rich and gently spiced rather than hot. Any dish can also be cooked milder on request.
What do I eat with an Indian curry?
Bread and rice. A warm naan is for tearing and dipping, and pilau or saffron rice soaks up the sauce. One curry, a tandoori starter, a naan and some rice will comfortably feed two people.
Are there vegetarian and vegan options?
Yes, we keep a long vegetarian and vegan list, all clearly marked, along with gluten-free options. There is a comfortable starting point on the menu whatever you eat.
