The music. The lights. The dancers. It’s Thursday night at Buddha-Bar London, which means it’s time for the restaurant’s weekly 1001 Arabian Nights show. Buddha-Bar is a world-wide famous chain, with each location being unique in its own way. The London branch is based in Knightsbridge, a stone’s throw away from the iconic department store Harrods, the restaurant does a fantastic job of bringing different cultures together. It combines the harmonising flurry of Asian Pan delicacies together with an authentic Arabic feel, created by exotic music and belly dancers.
When entering the venue through a big glass revolving door, you feel the positive energy straight away as the hosts greet you with a smile at the door. After they check your reservation, you are taken away to your table as the mesmerising contemporary Asian décor makes you feel like a million bucks. The best thing is the restaurant's down to earth atmosphere. You don't have to put on your best attire to look the part. Of course, trainers and baggy sweatpants are not recommended, but casual clothing never hurt anybody.
As you go down the stairs, the two mythical, colour changing dragons on either side of the staircase, made with Swarovski crystals are pretty hard to miss. The art installations and interiors fuse a colonial and baroque style. When sat at your table, the interior continues to make an impression with its exquisiteness galore. Although dimly lit, the large chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling and the pure glitz from every angle make up for the dark lighting. The restaurant manages to capture the evening vibe perfectly with warm tones of red, orange, gold and splashes of purple throughout the floor.
It is now time to look at the menu. The minimum spend per person on Thursday nights is £90 for a table in front of the stage where performers sing and dance, £55 for the middle of the floor and £45 at the back. Though some customers might think the prices are high, the service, food, drinks and the whole performance are all-inclusive. The restaurant keeps their options open, so if you would just like to have a regular Thursday dinner instead, the upper floor is always open to customers who do not wish to whisk away on a magic carpet to Morocco for a 1001 themed night. For those sitting at the back, don't worry ... the belly dancers come through the entire floor so everybody can get a sneak peek at their captivating costumes and dance moves. There is something unique about the show each week so when we asked Buddha-Bar's General Manager, Julia Kostadinova what they do to keep things interesting and fresh, she said: "We do have some lovely ladies, hard-working ladies who train extensively to bring a different choreography on the dance-floor every week.
"We value diversity and uniqueness as we believe it is the key to keeping our customers interested and happy. The belly dancers have become family to us and our clients over the years, so the whole experience really feels like home to us."
While waiting for your food to arrive, your glasses will be topped up with a delicious cocktail or bubbly. We recommend the Pornstar Martini for an unforgettable experience. The vodka, mixed with passion fruit and sour marachuá will envelope all of your taste buds, keeping you coming back for more. The extensive wine and sake list also compliment the food by featuring a wide selection of both world-renowned names and unusual finds. Pedro, the house's Sommelier is happy to take care of your every wine need. And we have a lot of those! As for the food, Buddha-Bar Restaurant London aims to push culinary boundaries as the menu blends far Eastern cuisine with Western tastes and influences. Chinese, Japanese, Thai and other Eastern flavours are all available throughout the menu, stylishly entwined to spearhead a new-wave Pacific Rim cuisine.
After making a small toast it is time to indulge in the elaborate and intricately decorated place that looks way too pretty to eat in. The Rock Shrimp bites (£16.50) and Buddha-Bar roll (£25) are an ideal starter. The roll includes 6 pieces, mixed with sashimi wrapped in cucumber and a creamy sesame sauce. By the time you work your way around the plate, you will find satisfaction out of every last bit of this light, but incredibly filling meal. Don't go anywhere, because the food is simply too delicious not to sample a few more courses.
If you ask the waiter for a recommendation, they will most probably refer you to the menus most highly-praised dish, the Spicy Mango (£23.50). It includes eight pieces of king crab with prawn tempura and spicy mango sauce. The mango is definitely a pleasant addition to offset the king prawn filled maki rolls and the crunchy consistency of the final piece on either side make up for a perfect finish.
Lastly, it's dessert time! The best choice you can make is probably the chocolate fondant with green tea ice-cream (£10.50). But, if you like to try something a little different instead of opting for the classic, predictable dessert options, the chocolate caramel and salted sesame bar with vanilla ice-cream (£10.50) is the right way to go. Though the sesame bars are quite small in size and the salted caramel flavour has a strong taste, the vanilla ice-cream is a must have in order to finish the dessert without the sharp aftertaste left in your mouth.
Whether you are just visiting the restaurant for a glass of champagne or a couple of cocktails at the bar, or even dining again with a friend or a date, Buddha-Bar has definitely solidified itself on our list for being a rendezvous experience for special occasions. The reason the restaurant has done so well is because customers don't just go for the meal, but for the dining experience itself.
Do we have any complaints? Absolutely no. Would we return? Definitely yes!
Words: Alexandra Baneva | Subbing: Melina Zachariou
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