Almost every big group has a mix of diets now: a few vegetarians, perhaps a vegan or two, someone avoiding dairy and someone who will eat anything. Indian food is one of the easiest cuisines to cater for a table like that, and our West End restaurant on Charing Cross Road has plenty of vegetarian cooking on the menu.
Here is how to plan a group booking when diets are mixed, what vegetarian dishes we serve, and why vegan guests should always check with us first.
How the group set menu handles vegetarians
Our group set menu gives every guest the Maharaja Mixed Starter, one main, pilau rice and plain naan. All guests in a party dine from the same option, and vegetarian choices are available.
In Option A, the Classic level, two of the mains are paneer dishes:
- Paneer Butter Masala: soft paneer in a rich, creamy and mildly spiced North Indian sauce.
- Paneer Chilli Masala: paneer with fresh chillies, peppers and garlic in a medium-spiced sauce.
The simplest thing is to tell us how many vegetarian guests you have when you book, so the kitchen can plan for them. You can see the full details on our group menu.
Vegetarian dishes on our menu
Beyond the group menu, our full menu has a long list of vegetarian dishes. A few examples:
- Starters: Onion Bhajee and Chutney, Vegetable Samosa, Hara Bhara Kebab (crispy spinach, pea and potato patties), Chilli Paneer and Paneer Tikka.
- From the tandoor: Tandoori Mixed Vegetables and Paneer Shashlik.
- Vegetable specials: Tarka Dall, Saag Dall, Dall Makhani, Chana Masala, Aloo Gobi, Bombay Aloo, Saag Aloo, Saag Paneer, Brinjal Bhaji, Mushroom Bhaji, Bhindi Bhaji, Mixed Vegetables and Gobi Manchurian.
- Rice and more: Vegetable Biryani and the Vegetable Thali, which brings together onion pakora, veg samosa, mixed vegetable curry, sag aloo, dall tarka, pilau rice, naan and raita.
Vegan guests: please ask us
This is the important bit. Our menu does not mark which dishes are vegan, so please don't assume. Plenty of Indian dishes that look plant-based can contain dairy: our Tarka Dall is made with butter, Bhindi Bhaji is cooked with butter, Dall Makhani has a creamy finish, and anything with paneer, raita or cream is not vegan. Breads can vary too.
So if you have vegan guests, tell us when you book and ask which dishes will suit them. We would much rather talk it through beforehand than have anyone guessing on the night. If you want some background first, our guide to vegan Indian food covers the basics, and our piece on cream in Indian cooking explains where dairy often turns up.
Allergies and other dietary needs
Please tell us about allergies when you book. Our kitchen handles nuts, dairy, eggs, gluten, fish, shellfish, soya and sesame.
That matters for mixed groups in particular. Guests avoiding gluten, nuts or dairy should say so at the booking stage, not at the table, so the kitchen has the full picture before anyone arrives.
Tips for organisers
- Ask early. Put a dietary question in your invitation and collect the answers with the replies.
- Separate preferences from allergies. Vegetarian or vegan is a preference to plan around. An allergy is a safety issue, so flag it clearly.
- Give us numbers. Tell us how many vegetarian and how many vegan guests you have, and any allergies, in one message when you book.
- Choose the option with everyone in mind. Everyone in the party dines from the same option, so check that it works for your vegetarian guests before you confirm.
- Double-check on the day. A quick reminder to the team when you arrive does no harm.
Choosing where to meet
Our Charing Cross restaurant at 19A Charing Cross Road is a minute from Leicester Square tube, with Covent Garden and Trafalgar Square a short walk away, and Soho is close by too. It makes an easy meeting point for a group spread across the West End.
With a little planning, a group with mixed diets can sit down together to the same generous table, with nobody left picking at a side salad.
Booking for a crowd? Look through our group set menu, tell us about vegetarian, vegan and allergy needs, and book a table for your party.
