Dubai comes to Mayfair with the opening of Trèsind next Saturday. We got to try the dishes early doors

It’s the first London outpost of the Indian fine dining restaurant brand, a big step in their global expansion.

Created by Passion F&B, the team behind Dubai’s three Michelin starred Trèsind Studio, Trèsind Mayfair showcases the style of Chef Himanshu Saini. He reimagines traditional Indian flavours and techniques to create a theatrical, multi sensory, multi course, set menu that has only three options, – meat, vegetarian or vegan. Do not ask for a chicken dansak as you will not get one.

Head chef in London is Amit Bagyal, whose team turns out a seven course tasting menu that balances Trèsind’s signatures with new dishes created specifically for London and championing the best of British produce.

Trèsind Mayfair will open as a dinner-only destination, but for the press tasting we had lunch in a relatively small space that was quietly stylish. The Chaat Trolley, brought to London from Dubai, was remarkable. Three ‘dishes’ each stunningly presented and with a dance of flavours and textures all tangy, crisp, sweet, and layered. We’d barely finished raving about these before we were served a fantastic Mushroom chai, the tea poured at table. Deep umani, a subtle sweetness and muted chili.

We also got to try Tortellini with gorgonzola dolce (yes, gorgonzola) , served on smoked chicken makhani and chilli jam; Lamb chop with rosemary vindaloo, paniyaram and chimichurri chutney; as well as the Khichdi of India, a dish traditionally a household staple, which Tresind has reimagined to incorporate over 20 spices from across India, each representing a distinct flavour profile of its region.  Stand out dish? Well, the waffle made from white lentils and served with crab was definitely a contender.

Every dish was perfect for size, each left us slightly hungry for more, but that’s a good thing. I hate tasting menus where I start to feel like a Marathon runner struggling up to the line and desperate for a lie down. Service too was well timed, no longueurs between courses, but no sense of being hurried up either. That’s a tricky balance.

The bar at Trèsind Mayfair will introduce An Indian Odyssey, a mixology concept exploring the depth and diversity of India’s regional drinking traditions while are an exploration of India through a contemporary lens. The ground floor is the main dining room and there’s a private dining space with a bar below.

This is perhaps the most interesting ‘Indian’ restaurant in London and well worth checking out once open

Alongside the launch of Trèsind Mayfair, Phaidon will publish worldwide, The Rise of Indian Food: Recipes Reimagined by Trèsind Studio by Himanshu Saini with Liam Collens, and with forewords by Massimo Bottura and Manish Mehrotra (£44.95 Phaidon.com).

The book is Chef Himanshu Saini’s debut, featuring his philosophy through five tasting menus, each inspired by a distinct region of India – the Thar Desert, the Deccan Plateau, the Coastal Plains, the Northern Plains, and the Himalayan Mountains