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Indian Essence by Atul Kochhar, London,

Indian Essence by Atul Kochhar

4.8
4.8
1885 Reviews
£26 to £40
Contemporary Indian

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 8 times today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Neighbourhood gem
  • Charming
Indian Essence by twice Michelin starred chef Atul Kochhar brings vibrant flavours, subtle blends of spices and incredible aromas to the heart of Petts Wood with its contemporary Indian cuisine.

An array of delicious dishes are available including Tandoori Lobster Tawa Masala, Railway Lamb curry, Chicken Tikka pie and many more. Guest can also enjoy Vegetarian and Pescatarian options from these specially designed menus.

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    £26 to £40
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary Indian
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Mon–Sat 12:00 pm–2:45 pm Sun 12:30 pm–2:45 pm Dinner Mon–Fri 5:30 pm–10:00 pm Sat 5:30 pm–10:30 pm Sun 5:30 pm–9:30 pm
  • Phone number
    01689 838700
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive Chef
    Atul Kochhar
  • Catering
    <br>We specialise in Outdoor caterings where Chef Atul Kochhar will personally design the menu to make your evening a memorable one.
  • Private party facilities
    We have facilities for private dining for up to 35 guests.
  • Neighbourhood
    Petts Wood
  • Cross Street
    Petts Wood Road
  • Parking details
    <br>We have adequate street parking opposite the restaurant and within 50 yards there is a huge car park that can accommodate 80 cars (free parking)
  • Public transit
    5 min walk from Petts Wood train station
  • Additional
    Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan, Wine

What 1,885 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.5Value

Noise • Energetic

Loved For

  • South East London

    Best Food

  • South East London

    Good for special occasions

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Indian Essence by Atul Kochhar offers a "fantastic twist to Indian cuisine" with an "interesting and varied menu" including unique starters like chicken tikka pie. Guests praise the "amazing service" and "outstanding" tasting menus, though some note occasional service delays. Perfect for special occasions with "exceptional flavours" and "generous portions."

1,885 Reviews
  1. Catherine

    London13 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wonderful meal yet again. Excellent food and service. Thank you 😊

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  2. Kim

    Kent2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 28, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food and service, friendly attentive staff , highly recommend
    Indian Essence by Atul KochharResponded 4 days ago
    Dear Kim, Thank you for your wonderful feedback. We are really glad to know you had a great dining experience at Indian Essence. We would love to see you back again soon. Kind regards, Diksha Khatri Management, Indian Essence

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  3. Joan

    Key West7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 26, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Absolutely fabulous dinner and the set menu is such good value. Amuse bouche of spicy tomato soup with a beetroot bonbon was outstanding . This really is by far the best restaurant in the locality .
    Indian Essence by Atul KochharResponded 4 days ago
    Dear Joan, What a pleasure to read your wonderful feedback. On behalf of the team, I sincerely thank you for taking the time to share your feedback about your recent experience at Indian Essence. I will pass on your kind words to our entire team—they will be thrilled and motivated. We look forward to welcoming you back to Indian Essence soon. Kind regards, Diksha Khatri Management, Indian Essence

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  4. Subramanian (Subi)

    London1 review

    5.0

    Dined on February 25, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Fantastic menu and authentic food! Really enjoyed our dinner!!
    Indian Essence by Atul KochharResponded 4 days ago
    Dear Subramanian, What a pleasure to read your wonderful feedback. On behalf of the team, I sincerely thank you for taking the time to share your feedback about your recent experience at Indian Essence. I will pass on your kind words to our entire team—they will be thrilled and motivated. We look forward to welcoming you back to Indian Essence soon. Kind regards, Diksha Khatri Management, Indian Essence

    Is this helpful?

  5. Stephen VIP

    London27 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on February 25, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The food, as always was superb. The staff are attentive and curteous, which is always the case whenever we have dined here.
    Indian Essence by Atul KochharResponded 4 days ago
    Dear Stephen, Thank you for your wonderful feedback. We are really glad to know you had a great dining experience at Indian Essence. We would love to see you back again soon. Kind regards, Diksha Khatri Management, Indian Essence

    Is this helpful?

  6. Anne

    London2 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on February 16, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    This restaurant used to be a favourite, a once a week visit. But staff have changed and the quality has gone down, while the prices have gone up. Certainly not getting what you pay for. Real shame as this used to be fab. Now I can’t recommend to anyone.

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  7. Chris

    London1 review

    3.0

    Dined on February 15, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    Our booking was moved 30 mins later due to an event being on to ensure our table would be ready, however when we arrived we had to stand in the rain 10 minutes to even get inside the building and it was another 10 minutes before we got to our table. At no point did anyone acknowledge or apologise for this. After the starters we were asked to move to a different table due to a booking error. The food was nice but service rushed and our bill was brought without us even asking. We were given a free single shot drink at the end but didn’t really make up for the poor service, especially at the price point. Won’t be in a hurry to return

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  8. Matthew

    London1 review

    2.0

    Dined on February 15, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    I should state first, that the food here is great. I have been a fair few times, and yes it is a little more than your average, but i believe the food is worth it. However, I have to say this experience was way below normal. I can understand there are busy days, but this was a disapointing experience. I dont know if the restaurant was overbooked, but while we were half way through our taster menu (which was wonderful i should say) the waiting area was overflowing with people which even spilled to the outside. We had to say we did feel a little rushed, and overlooked for alot of the meal with people standing around us (and in 2 cases made comments about my partner which made her very uncomfortable). In the end we left before finishing our menu as the crowds really impacted the experience. Like i said though, the food and drinks were lovely. However the atmosphere was runing unfortunately by other elements (and when your paying approx 250 for 2 people,, you kinda want a pleasent evening). I do hope it dosnt happen again, and happy to discuss it further.

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  9. Saurabh

    London1 review

    4.0

    Dined on February 14, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Atul Kochhar is a Michelin star Chef. The proof is in the pudding. Perfect food. Great service. Ambience could be better and price can be a bit more reasonable. Overall a great place to enjoy exemplary food and experience. Good for family and romantic outings. Tasty food is important to set good mood.

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  10. Anthony

    Kent4 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on February 14, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    Special nigh... only the set menu (Valentine's Day) was available. Our first table was in the middle isle, but was on a corner that 'everyone' walked past, and when the front door opened it was very cold and draughty spot. So we asked to be move, and we certainly did, so all good. The set menu was very nice!

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FAQs

Indian Essence by Atul Kochhar does offer delivery in partnership with Just Eat and Uber Eats.

Indian Essence by Atul Kochhar is rated 4.8 stars by 1885 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 8 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Indian Essence by Atul Kochhar

176-178 Petts wood Road, London, BR5 1LG

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Petts Wood Road
  • Neighbourhood
    Petts Wood
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Mon–Sat 12:00 pm–2:45 pm Sun 12:30 pm–2:45 pm Dinner Mon–Fri 5:30 pm–10:00 pm Sat 5:30 pm–10:30 pm Sun 5:30 pm–9:30 pm
  • Price
    £26 to £40
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary Indian
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    <br>We have adequate street parking opposite the restaurant and within 50 yards there is a huge car park that can accommodate 80 cars (free parking)
  • Public transit
    5 min walk from Petts Wood train station
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Atul Kochhar
  • Additional
    Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan, Wine
  • Phone number
    01689 838700
  • Catering
    <br>We specialise in Outdoor caterings where Chef Atul Kochhar will personally design the menu to make your evening a memorable one.
  • Private party facilities
    We have facilities for private dining for up to 35 guests.
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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